Victoire's Little Sister
by Emmie0928
Summary: Dominique Weasley has always been stuck in her sister's shadow. Will she ever be able to break free? Sequel to "Unexpected".
1. Chapter 1

_This is the sequel to my story "Unexpected" (formally "Pregnant at Seventeen") about Victoire. If you haven't read it, I would recommend that you do because this story makes a lot of references to it and has a lot of the same characters. But it probably can stand on its own as well._

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><p>I've never been very close to my older sister. For as long as I could remember there were many people who she seemed to deem more worthy of her time—Teddy, Roxanne, Fred, Grace, Aidan, and later Colin. I was just her annoying little sister. The one who had ruined her favorite dress when she was six. The one who had embarrassed her in front of Tommy Cunningham, who she had been madly in love with, when she was nine. The one who had accidently killed her pet toad the day before she left for her first day of school when she was eleven.<p>

The funny thing was, while she herself hardly ever bothered to remember I existed, everyone else continuously associated me with her.

Victoire's Little Sister.

Sometimes I felt like that was my only real identity.

Once I stared school at Hogwarts, teachers were constantly comparing me to her. "You're Victoire's little sister, aren't you?" they'd ask. "She's a wonderful girl. So much potential," they'd say. "Hopefully you're just like her."

Victoire Weasley was positively perfect in everyone's eyes. She was beautiful, with her long golden hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. She was popular. She was smart. When she walked down the hallway, every boy in sight would turn to stare at her bum.

And I was her little sister.

My mum constantly called me by her name. "Vic," she'd say and then shake her head, "Dom, I mean…" I noticed that it was never the other way around. Vic was never accidently called Dom.

People were always telling me how I looked just like her. "Someday, you'll be just as beautiful as she is," they'd tell me.

Someday.

Sometimes I wondered when "someday" would become "today". When I could finally break free of my sister's shadow. When I would stop being "Victoire' s Little Sister" and become "Dominique Weasley".

It wasn't that I didn't love my sister. Of course I did. And I'm sure she loved me too. It's just that sometimes I wanted to claw her pretty little eyes out.

But we were sisters, so maybe that was normal.

All I knew for sure was that Victoire and I weren't close. Never had been. Maybe never would be.

Louis was the sibling I'd always gotten on best with. Maybe it was just because we'd bonded over having a perfect older sister who never bothered to give us the time of day.

If I was "Victoire's Little Sister", then Louis was most certainly always referred to as "Victoire's Little Brother". Never "Dominique's Little Brother". Always Victoire's.

Everything was always about Victoire.

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><p><em>Sorry it's so short. The other chapters will be longer, but this was just supposed to be an intoductionprologue type thing. _

_Anyway, I hoped you liked it. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

I think that the first time my parents ever really realized that Victoire wasn't perfect was the day she first brought Colin O'Brien home for supper. She's been dating him for a few weeks, but this was the first time we got to meet him.

I was twelve years old at the time. Vic was fifteen and a month and a half away from her starting her fifth year at Hogwarts.

I'd almost laughed when I saw my mum get her first good look at Colin. She looked like she was about to have a heart attack as she stood there, taking in all his wannabe rock star glory— long, unkempt hair, pack of cigarettes in his back pocket, eyebrow ring, bored expression. She muttered something in French and hurried off into the kitchen. Colin stared at her arse as she went, smirking appreciatively.

Dinner that night was pretty interesting. My dad spent the entire meal glaring at Colin. My mum spent the entire meal glaring at Vic. Louis built a fort out of his mashed potatoes. And I stayed silent.

That was, until Colin tried to engage me in conversation.

"So, Dom," he said, "you've been quiet."

I nodded.

"You shy or what?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty shy," I replied, staring down at my plate.

"Vic's not shy," he said.

Oh yes, I knew that. Teachers had reminded me all year. "You're so quiet, Dom," they'd say. "Your sister's so outgoing. I thought you would be too."

"I know," I replied stiffly. "But I'm not Vic."

"Obviously," he mumbled, his mouth full of steak.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," I snapped, almost by instinct.

He made a big show of swallowing. "Sorry," he said, his eyes locking with mine as he draped his arm over the back of Vic's chair. "Didn't mean to offend you, your highness."

Vic laughed, staring up at him with the most pathetic, lovey-dovey expression I'd ever seen.

Colin smirked at me.

At that moment, I decided that I hated Colin O'Brien.

He was a cocky bastard.

I pushed my plate aside. "May I be excused, Mum?"

She nodded.

I got up, Louis trailing behind me. I pushed open the front door of the house and sat down on the steps. Louis plopped down next to me.

"I don't like Colin," he announced.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. "Me neither, kid. Me neither."

He smiled up at me. "Wanna hear a secret?" he whispered.

"Sure," I replied.

"You're my favorite sister."

"That's mean, Louis," I told him. "You shouldn't have favorites." But secretly it made me happy. It was nice that someone preferred me to Vic. Even if it was my nine-year-old brother.

He shrugged. "Well, it's the truth," he said.

After Colin left, all hell broke loose. "I don't like him," said my dad, almost as soon as the door had closed and Colin had disappeared into the night.

"I _despise_ him," said my mum. "Victoire, 'e looks filthy."

Vic put her hands on her hips and argued with them for nearly twenty minutes on the matter. She told them that they were wrong. That he was actually a nice guy. That he was just misunderstood. Bla. Bla. Bla.

"Argh!" she finally screeched, throwing her hands up in the air, unable to get through to them. "You guys are so annoying!" She then proceeded to stomp up the stairs and slam the door in a very dramatic, teenage fashion.

I just rolled my eyes and focused on reading my book. It was non-fiction, something Vic never seemed to understand. She was more of a novel girl. She'd always flounce into the room and throw herself down on the couch beside me. "Whatcha reading?" she'd ask. I'd tell her it was a book about ancient Egypt or about werewolves or about a goblin war. She'd just roll her eyes. "How can you stand books without romance?"she'd ask. "I can't read anything that doesn't have a love story in it." Then she'd stand up, tossing her long, blonde mane over her shoulders and head off to paint her nails or make out with Colin or something.

I heard my parents discussing Vic and Colin in the corner in hushed tones. Apparently they thought that since I was across the room and reading a book, that I couldn't hear them.

"I just don't understand what she sees in 'im," whispered my mum. "She's always been a sensible girl. 'Ad a good head on 'er shoulders. But zat boy is not a sensible choice."

"He's gonna hurt her," replied my dad. "I know it."

I concentrated harder on my book, trying to tune them out.

I was already sick of hearing about Vic and Colin.

Unfortunately for me, this was definitely not the last I would hear of them.

I think that everyone in the world has had at least one moment that scarred them for life.

Mine happened a month and a half after I met Colin for the first time. It was the day before I was to leave for my second year at Hogwarts. As far as I knew, I was the only one home, so I decided to go into Vic's room to see if my favorite shirt had gotten mixed up with her laundry somehow.

I pushed open her door and that's when I discovered that I was actually not the only one home. Vic was home. And Colin was with her. And they were on her bed. Naked. And shagging.

I let out a shriek, quickly closing the door behind me, and ran outside as fast as possible.

My sister found me sitting on the steps, contemplating removing my own eyeballs from their sockets, so that I would never have to witness something as truly horrifying as that again.

She sat down next to me. She's managed to find some clothes. But her hair was still a mess and her makeup was smeared.

"I didn't know you were home," she murmured.

"I didn't know _you_ were home," I replied.

"Dom, I'm really sorry you had to see that."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sorry myself."

She bit her lip. "Don't tell Mum or Dad, okay? They'd kill me."

I turned to look at her. "Vic, how can you two already be shagging? You've only been together two months."

"I love him," she whispered.

"How can you be sure?" I asked. "You're fifteen. It's been_ two_ months."

"I just am, okay?" she said, sounding defensive. "Just promise that you won't tell Mum or Dad."

"Fine," I replied. "I promise."

"Good," she said, standing up. I watched as she disappeared into the house, probably to have some more sex with Colin. But making sure to lock the door this time.

I sighed. It was strange to think that Victoire wasn't a virgin anymore. I hadn't even been kissed before. Though I was only twelve, so that was perfectly acceptable.

But, Vic was only fifteen.

Fifteen and "in love".

I wondered what it would be like to be in love. To be kissed. To have a boy call you his girlfriend.

I decided that when I did fall in love, I wasn't only going to wait two months before shagging him like Vic. I was going to make sure that I loved him and that he loved me and that I was absolutely ready. And I certainly wasn't going to fall in love with someone like Colin O'Brien.

I pulled out the small notebook and muggle pen that I kept with me at nearly all times. I was a list maker. When I wanted to organize my thoughts, I numbered them and put them on individual lines. It was soothing for me.

I uncapped the pen and flipped to a clean page.

I titled the page _My Perfect Guy. _And then I began to write.

_1.) Clean-cut and polite_

_2.) Smart and driven_

_3.) Not a muggle_

Number 3 was not because I was prejudice against muggles, but because keeping the witch thing a secret seemed too difficult. I honestly didn't know how Vic managed to keep it from Colin.

_4.) Athletic/ plays Quidditch_

_5.) Not a musician or an artsy/hipster type_

_6.) Does not smoke!_

I looked back over the list. It was interesting how two sisters could have such different tastes in guys. Colin didn't fit any of the things on my list.

I tucked the notebook and pen back in my pocket and headed down to the beach, the best place to clear my head and try to block the awful things I had just witnessed from my mind.

I sat down on a log and stared up at the sky. Thank god tomorrow was September 1st. I needed to get out of there. I needed to see my best friend Liz. And I needed to be somewhere with absolutely no risk of seeing Vic and Colin together.

"Heads up!" I heard a boy shout.

I ducked as a Frisbee whizzed right over my head.

The boy came running over. "Sorry about that," he said, as a dog shot past him and grabbed the Frisbee. I watched as he trotted back to the boy and allowed it to be removed from his mouth. Then he sat, tail wagging, waiting for it to be thrown again.

I'd always wanted a dog.

But Vic was allergic.

"I'm Dylan," said the boy.

"Dominique," I replied. "But I go by Dom."

"Sounds French," he replied.

"It is. My mum is from France."

"Cool," he said, throwing the Frisbee. The dog took off after it.

"You sound American," I said.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm from Ohio. I'm just visiting my grandma who lives here. We come every summer. But I have to leave tomorrow. Gotta get back to school."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Twelve," he replied. "You?"

"Twelve."

He grinned. "Well, I gotta go, Dom. Maybe I'll see you next summer."

I watched as he took off after the dog.

"Bye," I called after him, watching him disappear over a hill.

Later that night, I pulled the list I had made earlier out of my pocket.

Dylan seemed clean-cut and polite. I didn't know if he was smart and driven, but he seemed like he could be. He looked pretty athletic and not much like an artsy musician type. And I doubted he smoked, seeing as he was twelve. Of course, he was a muggle, but nobody's perfect.

He was cute too.

Too bad I wouldn't see him again until next summer.

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><p><em>Vic might seem more shallow and ditzy in this then she did in <span>Pregnant at Seventeen<span>, but that's only because we're seeing her from Dom's point of view. That's how Dom sees her, but it's not how she actually is._

_Thanks for reading! Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

The next summer, I did indeed see Dylan again. We hung out nearly every day. Vic teased me about it. She called him my boyfriend. But we were just friends. I felt like I could tell him anything and I knew he wouldn't judge me. I'd never had a friend who I felt so utterly and completely myself around before. I had a best friend who went to Hogwarts with me named Liz, but she was kind of… strange, and I didn't always feel like I could tell her everything. But with Dylan, I could.

I even told him that I was a witch.

Which I knew violated wizarding law, but it was a secret that I just couldn't keep. After all, how could I fully be myself around him if he didn't know something that was such a big part of me?

I honestly didn't know how Vic kept it a secret from Colin. I just wouldn't have the patience for it.

During that summer before my third year of school, I not only told Dylan about being a witch, but I told him all about my issues with Vic. About how jealous I was of her sometimes. About how I hated her boyfriend and how she was when she was around him. About how sometimes I wished I was her. And other times, I wished that she would disappear forever.

And he told me about how he was scared to tell his dad that he wanted to quit baseball.

"I just don't like playing sports that much," he told me. "I mean, I'm pretty good at them, but I just have more interest in, like, music and drawing and photography. Especially photography. I want to be a photographer when I grow up."

I showed him some wizarding photographs, which he was completely in awe of. He spent nearly five minutes waving at a photo of my mum's great-aunt, until she got tired of him and fell asleep.

My parents didn't know that he knew out secret. They would have killed me if they had found out. So I didn't tell anyone.

Sometimes I felt guilty about telling him. But he had sworn that he wouldn't tell a soul, and I believed him.

Dylan and I had a lot of fun that summer, but all too soon it came to an end. That year, unlike the year before, I was not at all excited to be returning to Hogwarts. I wanted summer to last forever.

Dylan didn't seem to understand this. "How could you not want to go back to school?" he asked me. "It's a _wizarding_ school! Dude, do you know how freaking awesome that is?"

"But I'll miss you," I told him.

"I'll see you next summer," he said.

"That's forever from now."

"Just ten months."

"Sounds like forever to me…" I murmured.

He just grinned, gave me a quick hug, and started to head back to his grandma's house.

"Bye!" I called.

"See you in ten months!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Dylan turned out to be right. Ten months really wasn't forever. The time passed rather quickly. A blur of magic spells, and potions, and late nights spent studying. And soon enough it was summer again.

Dylan had gotten a little taller since I had last seen him. His dark brown hair was a little longer. But he mostly looked exactly the same.

I had waited on the curb in front of his grandma's house for an hour before he finally arrived. He greeted me with the news that he had finally quit the baseball team. Then he reached into his grandma's car and pulled out a camera.

"I got it for my birthday," he told me excitedly. Then he went on to try to explain to me why it was better than all the other muggle cameras in the world. His explanation went right over my head though. I mean, the pictures didn't even move! How good could it be?

But I was happy for him. He was one step closer to achieving his dream. I, on the other hand, didn't even know what my dreams were.

That evening we were down at the beach, lying on a blanket and looking up at the stars.

"Hey, Dom," he whispered.

"What?"

"Tell me a secret," he said.

I looked over at him. "I don't have any secrets."

His brown eyes bored into mine. "I don't believe you."

"Dylan, I told you all my secrets last summer."

"Yeah, but that was last year. Surely something has happened since then. Something I don't know about."

"Fine," I replied. "But if I tell you a secret, then you have to tell me one."

"Deal."

I took a deep breath. "I had my first kiss."

He grinned. "How was it?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Horrible."

And it had been. The boy was Xavier Smudgeley. He had been my partner for a project in Potions. One night we had been working on it in the common room. It was late and there was nobody else around and he had just leaned over and kissed me. I honestly don't know why he did it. It wasn't like we'd had "a moment" or anything. We'd just been talking about how many eel eyes we needed to put in the potion and _bam_. He kissed me. It was completely awkward. Neither of us knew what we were doing. Luckily it was over in about a second.

Dylan laughed after I told him the story.

"Now tell me your secret," I said.

"Alright," he said. "But I don't think you're going to approve."

My curiosity was piqued.

"I got high for the first time a few weeks ago," he said.

He was right. I _didn't_ approve.

"It was at a party celebrating the last day of school. Some kid brought some pot and I figured I should try it. I'll be starting high school in the fall and it seems like one of those experiences I should have."

I bit my lip. The conversation suddenly felt so grown up. All this talk about snogging and drugs. We lay there, not talking, for a few minutes, before I broke the silence.

"I should go," I said.

He grabbed my hand. "Good night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow," he exclaimed in a terrible attempt at an English accent.

I laughed, tugging my hand away and standing up. "You think quoting Shakespeare is going to convince me to stay?"

He stood up as well, picking up the blanket and tucking it under his arm. "Well, it's how I usually woo the ladies. One quote from Shakespeare and they're putty in my hands."

I snorted. "What ladies?"

"What? You haven't seen them? They're always around, dozens of them, trying to get my attention. They're like my own personal harem."

I shook my head. "You're ridiculous."

"Come on," he said. "I'll walk you home."

I grabbed his arm and put on my best damsel-in-distress voice. "Why, thank you, kind sir."

He tipped an imaginary hat at me. "It's no problem at all, miss. A delicate young lady like yourself shouldn't be out walking alone at this hour of the night."

That summer went by too quickly as well. Before I knew it, there were only two weeks of vacation left.

Dylan and I had spent the day in town. I'd mentioned that I didn't know how to ride a bicycle, so he had taken it upon himself to teach me in an abandoned parking lot. I was rubbish at it, but I agreed to give it another go the next morning. But, on my way into town, I realized that I'd forgotten my sunglasses and had to turn back.

Once inside the house, I turned to head upstairs to my room, but stopped when I heard voices coming from the kitchen. Vic and Teddy. I wondered what they were talking about. Taking a step into the doorway, I paused to listen.

"I'm sorry," I heard Vic mumble. "I'm being a bitch."

No surprise there.

"It's fine," replied Teddy. "Pregnant people have the right to be a bitch."

I let out a gasp before I could stop myself. Pregnant? She was pregnant?

They both turned around, their eyes widening at the sight of me.

"You're pregnant?" I asked, praying that she'd say no. That I'd somehow misunderstood.

Vic stood up and hurried over to me. "You have to swear you won't tell anyone, Dom!" she said frantically. "Not even Mum or Dad."

I nodded, still in shock. "What are you going to do?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Does Colin know?"

She grimaced at the sound of his name. "He knows."

"And?" I prompted.

"Colin is an arsehole, Dom."

This was news to her? Merlin, she was slow on the uptake. I could have told her this bit of information two years ago. It would have prevented all this from happening.

But I didn't say anything like that to her, instead I just whispered, "Oh. I see."

So Colin was running out on his pregnant girlfriend. How like him. Once a dirty piece of scum, always a dirty piece of scum, I guess.

I glanced over Vic's shoulder at Teddy. "Why did you tell him," I asked, "before you told anyone in your family? Don't you trust us? Don't you trust _me_?"

It was probably because they were shagging. Or soon to be shagging. Now that Colin was out of the picture, Vic would need another boy to occupy her time with. Though I had to admit that if she and Teddy did become a couple, I would definitely not be able to judge her for her choice in a guy this time around. I'd known Teddy my entire life and he was the closest I'd ever seen to perfect. Maybe he'd do Vic some good.

"Of course I trust you, Dom. I'm just scared, you know. And I knew Teddy wouldn't judge me or tell anyone."

"I'm not gonna judge you or tell anyone," I said.

Which wasn't completely true. I would probably tell Dylan. But he didn't really count, did he? They didn't even know each other really.

"Thanks," she said. And then she did something that I definitely wasn't expecting. She hugged me.

I stiffened, but after a moment I hugged her back. "You haven't hugged me in a long time," I said. I actually couldn't even remember the last time. She had tried to strangle me a couple times though…

"No," she said. "I suppose I haven't."

After the hug, she teased me about Dylan for a bit, and then I was able to make my escape.

"Where were you?" asked Dylan when I finally arrived.

"Got held up. Family crisis."

"What kind of crisis?"

I knew that I promised I wouldn't tell, but I figured that telling Dylan wouldn't cause any problems. He didn't know Vic very well or anyone she knew, except for me.

"Vic's pregnant."

His eyes widened. "Damn. That sucks."

I shrugged. "Well, she shouldn't be too surprised, really. This is what happens when you're a whore."

I realized that I had lied to her about two things. I had told someone her secret and I was judging her. But for some reason I didn't care. Because, after seventeen years, the world was finally going to realize that Victoire Weasley wasn't perfect. Not even close.

"Jeez, Dom," said Dylan. "That's a little harsh, don't you think? I mean, she's been dating this guy for two years. I'd hardly call her a whore."

"Whatever," I replied. "Don't we have some bike riding to do?"

Dylan looked at me for a second. "Yeah," he finally said. "We do."

Later that day, after Dylan had given up on teaching me, he was riding around town with me on his handlebars. I began to fell a slight bit of guilt gnawing at me. Maybe I had judged Vic too harshly. She'd looked so scared. And she'd hugged me.

But then I pushed the feeling aside and tilted my head up towards the sky. "WOOO!" I shouted.

Dylan laughed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm letting it all out," I told him.

"All what?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. Just _everything_, I guess. You should try it. It's very liberating."

So he did. And I joined in. We passed by a couple of old men. "Damn kids," I heard one of them mutter.

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><p><em>Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

Apparently Victoire thought that a pregnancy was something that she could keep a secret from our parents. Because for two weeks she didn't say a word about it. I'd sit across from her at meals, staring at her, waiting for her to speak up. But she never did. She'd just stare right back at me, with a face that clearly said "don't you dare tell them anything," before going back to calmly eating her food.

But I guess she finally realized it wasn't a secret she could keep forever because on the day before school was to start again, she finally told them.

It had been rather unexpected, actually. I was reading a book on the couch in the living room and Louis was sitting on the floor looking through a Quiddich magazine, when we heard the backdoor slam. We both looked at each other and quickly hurried to the kitchen, hovering in the doorway.

Vic was standing there, a furious expression on her face, apparently in the midst of a conversation with Mum.

"Victoire," my mum snapped, "what 'as gotten into you?"

"A baby!" she shouted. "A baby has gotten into me."

Well, I had to hand it to her. That was a pretty witty response.

"What?" my mum asked.

"I'm pregnant."

I heard Louis gasp in surprise.

Mum was silent for what seemed like hours. She just stood there, her lips pursed and her hands on her hips.

Finally, she spoke. "'Ow far along?"

I was a little shocked about how little emotion Mum was showing. There was no yelling. No tears.

"About six weeks."

"'Ow long 'ave you known?"

"Two weeks," replied Vic.

And that's when the tears finally came. Mum's voice broke as she whispered, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared, Mummy," Vic whimpered. I watched as my mum wrapped her into a hug and then led her right past Louis and me, with barely a glance in our direction, into the living room.

I followed them, Louis right behind me. I listened as my mum asked who knew. Vic replied that Colin did. My mum asked if there was anyone else.

"Teddy and Dom know, too," Vic told her.

"Dom knows?" Mum asked. The look of utter shock on her face shouldn't have been surprising. Vic and I usually couldn't even manage to share clothes with each other, let alone life-changing secrets.

"She overheard Teddy and me talking about it."

My mum nodded, the look of surprise gone. Vic hadn't purposely shared a secret with me. All was right with the world again.

Later that evening, we were all sitting around the dinner table. My dad was still completely clueless about Vic's situation. I wondered when the news was going to be sprung on him.

Finally, my mum spoke up. "Victoire has something she wants to tell you, dear."

Vic looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Dad looked at her expectedly.

Vic shifted around in her seat, a pained expression on her face. "You tell him," she finally said, looking at my mum.

Mum set down her fork and looked straight at my dad. "Victoire is pregnant," she said calmly.

Dad's fork clattered as it hit his plate. Unlike Mum, he didn't look shocked. He just looked angry. I knew that in his mind he was imagining himself tearing Colin to shreds with his bare hands.

Suddenly I remembered something that my dad had said, two years before, after he met Colin for the first time. "He's gonna hurt her. I know it."

He had been right.

"How?" Dad snarled.

I choked back my laughter. _How?_ What kind of question was that?

Vic apparently was wondering the same thing.

"I think you know how, Dad."

"Well, obviously," he snapped. "I just meant…"

"That you didn't expect your little girl to be doing that," she finished for him.

"That's exactly what I meant," he replied.

I resisted the urge to role my eyes. He seriously didn't know that she and Colin had been shagging? Was he blind? One look at the way those two had acted around each other and it was obvious what they were doing behind closed doors. Colin had never seemed quite capable of keeping his hands off her arse and his tongue out of her mouth. And that had been with my parents around.

But of course, I already knew why my parents had been clueless to the fact that Vic wasn't a virgin. And hadn't been for a while. It was simply because she was Victoire. And Victoire was perfect.

I watched as Vic pulled out her daddy's little girl routine. Apologizing and crying and hugging ensued.

And within minutes, Vic was completely forgiven.

Which shouldn't have surprised me.

But it did.

I almost felt a little disappointed, as awful as it sounds. It really did seem like Vic could get away with anything. Probably even murder. She could literally kill someone and they'd probably forgive her in about ten minutes and welcome her back with open arms.

I watched in silence as my parents told Vic that she hadn't let them down. That'd they always love her. That she was their favorite child.

Okay, I made that last one up. But sometimes it felt like it was true.

Even Louis chimed in, expressing his excitement about being an uncle.

I stabbed at a piece of broccoli with my fork, pretending it was Vic's head.

That night, I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, when I heard my door creak open. I watched as a small figure darted into the room and crawled into bed with me.

"Louis," I whispered, "what are doing in here?"

"I'm scared," he whispered.

"About what?"

"Starting school tomorrow," he replied.

"Oh, Louis," I said. "Don't worry. You're going to love it at Hogwarts."

"But what if I'm rubbish at everything? What if I get sorted into Slytherin?"

"You'll be brilliant. And I'm sure you won't be a Slytherin. You're not really the type."

"I want to be in Ravenclaw like you."

I smiled. "What about Gryffindor?" I asked. "Would you settle for that?"

"I'd rather be in Ravenclaw with you, than in Gryffindor with Vic."

My smile got a little bigger. "Well, Ravenclaw _is_ the best house."

"And you're the best sister," said Louis.

"And you're the best brother," I said.

He laughed. "I'm your _only_ brother, Dom."

"And that's why you're the best."

He was quiet for nearly five minutes and I thought that he'd fallen asleep. But then he spoke again.

"Dom?" he whispered.

"What?"

"Is Vic gonna be okay?"

"I dunno," I replied. "I hope so."

"Really?"

"Really what?"

"You hope she's gonna be okay?"

I frowned. "Of course I do."

"Oh," he said, "I thought you hated her."

"I don't hate her, Lou. She just gets on my nerves sometimes."

"Do I get on your nerves?"

"Once in a while," I admitted, "but not nearly as often as Vic does."

"Am I getting on your nerves now? Do you want me to leave?"

"No," I said, yawning. "You can stay."

"Good," he said. "Goodnight, Dom."

"Goodnight, Louis. Sweet dreams."

"I'll dream about being sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, yawning again.

Louis snuggled closer to me. I remembered back when he was five years old and he's come sleep in my bed all the time. Most kids went into the parents' room when they had nightmares, but he'd always come to me. But then he'd grown out of it, so it was kind of nice that he was back.

The next morning was as crazy as usual, everyone rushing about, making sure they'd gotten everything packed. But surprisingly, for the first time ever, we made it to King's Cross with time to spare.

I found my best friend Liz in the crowd of people. Her long, brown hair nearly reached her bum. Her eyes were lined with a little too much black eyeliner, giving her an owl-like appearance. She had a distant expression on her face, as if her mind was somewhere completely different.

Liz had always been a bit strange. Her favorite subject was Divination. Which I think should tell you just about everything you needed to know about her. In ten years I was sure that she'd be up in the North Tower, wrapped in shawls and telling students to "use your inner eye to see the future."

Sometimes I wasn't quite sure how I had ended up best friends with her. In my mind, Divination was the biggest waste of time imaginable. I supposed it was just because we were constantly around each other. We were both in Ravenclaw and had spent three years sharing a dormitory. Neither of us were popular, and I guess, in a way, our outcast status had caused us to bond.

All I knew for sure was that no matter how odd Liz was, I loved her to death. She was my only true friend at Hogwarts.

We found a compartment and Liz immediately launched into a story about a man she'd heard about who'd seem the grim and died two days later.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Liz, the grim isn't real."

"Yes it is!" she argued.

"How'd this guy die?" I asked.

"He was hit by a bus."

"Okay, has it ever occurred to you that maybe this guy was so preoccupied with the fact that he'd seen what he believed was the grim, that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and walked out in front of a bus? The grim didn't cause him to die. It was actually is paranoia over a stray dog that caused him to."

She just shook her head, refusing to see sense. I tuned her out as she began telling me about some tea leaves she'd read and stared out the window. Below, I could see Teddy and Vic intertwined, mouths glued together.

"Victoire's pregnant," I murmured.

Liz immediately stopped talking and looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Why so shocked?" I asked. "Did your tea leaves not tell you that?"

"Shut up," she said. "I mean, don't actually. Tell me all the details." She leaned forward, her kohl-lined eyes wide with anticipation.

So I took a deep breath and told her everything.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Liz and I were on our way to our first class when we heard someone shout my name. Turning, I saw Xavier Smudgeley waddling towards us. I sighed. Ever since he'd kissed me out of the blue last year, Xavier had taken every opportunity he could to talk to me.

"Hey, Xavier," I said, trying to smile. "How was your summer?"

His pudgy face broke into a toothy grin. Xavier was…quite unfortunate-looking, to say the least. He was at least two inches shorter than me (and I'm a little on the short side myself) and he was nearly as wide as he was tall. "It was great!" he exclaimed, as enthusiastic as ever.

"That's good," I said. "Er, well… I better get to class. It was nice talking to you."

"I'll walk you there. We both have Transfiguration."

"Erm, I was actually walking with Liz," I said, desperate to get away from him.

Xavier glanced at Liz, as if just noticing she was there. "Oh, hello, Liz."

Liz gave him a small nod, before glancing down at her watch. "We're gonna be late, Dom."

"Well, I'll just walk with you both then," said Xavier.

"Great," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "That'll be lovely."

Xavier didn't seem to notice my lack of sincerity. Instead he just happily trotted along next to me, so close that his arm was constantly brushing against mine. He chattered incessantly to me, utterly ignoring Liz. I shot her a sympathetic smile after she tried to mention something and he immediately cut her off, launching into a story about his grandmother's cat.

He sat right behind Liz and me in Transfiguration and spent the entire class throwing little notes at me.

He was like my own personal stalker.

Except not at all threatening or dangerous.

At lunch, I made sure to sit at the opposite end of the table from Xavier. Louis waved at me excitedly from his seat about midway down the table from me. He had been sorted into Ravenclaw the evening before, much to his delight.

"I wish Xavier would leave me alone," I said to Liz, who was sitting across from me. It was just the two of us. Like always.

Over at the Gryffindor table, Vic was surrounded by her four best friends. They were all laughing about something, looking happy and beautiful and popular.

"It's kind of cute how much he likes you," replied Liz, interrupting my thoughts. "Maybe you should give him a chance. Looks aren't everything, you know."

I looked at her, my eyebrows raised. "You're right. But it's not just about his looks. It's about the fact that he smells like beef jerky. And he thinks that telling about his grandmother's cat makes for an interesting anecdote."

Liz laughed. "Beef jerky?"

I nodded. "Unfortunately."

"Well," she said, glancing down the table to where he was sitting, "I suppose he's no Dylan."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"I'm just saying that your aura has a lot of pink in it. And you know what that means."

I blinked. "No, Liz. I _don't_ know what that means."

She looked annoyed. "Don't you pay attention in Divination?"

"No, I don't," I said. "I would say that the only thing I've ever learned in that class is that the textbook makes an excellent pillow."

She rolled her eyes. "A large amount of pink in your aura means that you've fallen in love."

I stared at her. "With Dylan?"

"Well, I don't think it's Xavier."

"I'm not in love with Dylan. We're just friends."

"But your aura…"

"Aura's are rubbish," I said, cutting her off. "Just like the Grim."

She just shook her head. "Well, even without the aura, it's pretty obvious how you feel about Dylan."

"Yes," I replied. "It is obvious. It's obvious that I think of him as a _friend_."

She completely ignored me. "I mean, I can't blame you. He's got those male model looks."

"Male model looks? You're insane."

"I know he's only fourteen," she said. "But in a few years he's going to be gorgeous."

"Well, I think he prefers to be behind the camera rather than in front of it, so your male model fantasy will probably never come true."

She shook her head. "Such a waste. I mean, have you seen that jaw line?"

"Well, if you're so in love with him, than you date him," I said, exasperated.

"I barely know him, Dom. I've only met him twice. You, on the other hand, know him very well…"

"Can we stop talking about this? Please."

"Fine," she said, taking a bit of her sandwich. "But your horoscope said that you should be open to the possibility of love…"

"Liz!"

"Just saying," she said.

I spotted Hagrid making his way into the Great Hall.

"I'm going to go say hello," I said, nodding in his direction.

"You're just trying to get away from me," said Liz.

"You're right," I said, standing up, "I am."

Over the next few weeks, I wondered when Vic would finally let the school in on her secret. It wasn't like she could hide a pregnancy forever. Besides, all the teachers knew, her friends knew, I knew, Liz knew, Louis knew, Louis's friends potentially knew. Eventually, with all these people in on the secret, it was bound to get out.

A secret at Hogwarts was never a secret for along.

Three weeks into school, I got the answer to my question. I was heading back to the common room with Liz when I heard a group of three seventh year girls whispering about something in the hallway. They were Ravenclaws and they were basically the most popular girls in school. And the meanest.

"She's such a whore…" I heard one of them say as I passed.

I didn't pay much attention to that statement because they could have been talking about anyone. It was what another girl said that made me stop in my tracks.

"That's her sister."

They were talking about Victoire.

I don't know what came over me at that moment. What made me, the shy fourth year, to go off on a group of popular seventh years. Especially since all I'd heard them say was something I'd said myself. I'd called Vic a whore too. But, for some reason, something inside me made me do it.

They all looked shocked when I whirled around to face them. "Hey!" I snapped. "Shut up about my sister!"

In a minute the shocked looks were replaced with bitchy, cold ones.

"Why should we?" asked one girl, whose name was Colby. "It's true. She is a whore." She pursed her glossed lips and crossed her arms, as if daring me, a fourth year loser, to contradict her.

"She is not," I replied.

"She's pregnant," Colby said, tossing her long, honey-colored hair over her shoulder. "If the rumors are to be believed, she fucked a random muggle and got knocked up, and now she's already moved on to fucking Teddy Lupin." She paused and arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Sounds like a whore to me."

The two clones on either side of her nodded in agreement.

I put my hands on my hips. "Well, maybe the rumors shouldn't be believed. That 'random muggle' was actually her boyfriend for two years. Besides, if all rumors should be believed than that means that you've shagged several muggles yourself, as well as Teddy Lupin, and about half the guys in this school over the age of sixteen. Which, even without a pregnancy, would make you a far bigger whore than Vic."

Beside me, Liz let out a sharp intake of breath, her eyes wide.

A vein in Colby's head looked like it was about to burst. Her face was turning red and splotchy. "Shut the hell up," she snarled. "Who do you think you are?"

Liz grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away. "She's sorry," she said to Colby, sounding slightly frantic. "She's just on her period, you know how it is…"

"I'm not on my period and I'm not sorry!" I snapped over my shoulder, as Liz dragged me away.

Once we returned to the common room, Liz led me all the way up to our dormitory.

"What was that?" she hissed, as I sat down on my bed. "You nevertalk to people. And you especially never _confront_ people!"

I shrugged. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

"And you thought that calling Colby Anderson a whore would be a good idea your first time confronting someone? She's going to make your life miserable."

"She called Vic a whore!"

"So do you!"

"Yeah, but her saying it is hypocritical. She's one too. I'm not, so I can say it."

Liz took a deep breath. "Dom, your horoscope said that you should avoid conflict. The fact that you deliberately sought it out means that something bad is going to happen to you."

"Shut up about my horoscope, Liz!" I snapped. "I'm really not in the mood for all your psychic crap right now, okay?"

The hurt look on her face immediately made me feel like a jerk. "Liz, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

She crossed her arms. "You're right, you shouldn't have. I'm only trying to help."

"I know," I said. "But do you think that you could help me by leaving me alone so I can sleep. I know it's early, but I'm suddenly really tired."

"What about your homework?"

"I don't have much. I'll do it in the morning."

"Okay," she said. "Sweet dreams. But if you dream that you're being chased that probably means that…"

"Liz!"

"Alright, I'm leaving."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

The next Saturday was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.

"I need to stop by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. I've somehow managed to misplace nearly all my quills already," said Liz when we arrived in the village.

"I'll just head on over to the Three Broomsticks then," I said, not really wanting to hang around a quill shop for twenty minutes while Liz tried to decide which one to buy. "Just meet me there when you're finished."

"Alright," she said, waving as she headed inside the shop.

I continued walking toward the pub. When I got there, a group of fifth year Slytherin boys were blocking the door.

"Er, excuse me," I said.

One of the boys, whose name I couldn't remember, turned away from his friends and smirked at me. He looked me up and down slowly, making my skin crawl.

"I know who you are," he said. "You're Victoire Weasley's little sister." He turned to his friends. "Victoire's that pregnant Gryffindor girl."

"Please move," I said quietly, wishing they would go away.

He ignored me. "What's your name?"

"Dom," I said, immediately wondering why I even told him.

His grinned at me, exposing his perfect teeth. "So, Dom, are you as much _fun_ as your sister?"

They were all leering down at me like vultures. I wanted to cry. Why wouldn't they just move?

"You're blocking the door," I said, my voice quivering. "I'm trying to get inside."

"Aw, come on, Dom. Don't be so boring," he said, grabbing my wrist and putting his mouth close to my ear. "How about you and I go somewhere a little more private and you can show me just how much like your older sister you really are?"

"Hey!" I heard someone shout. "Get the hell away from her!"

I turned my head and saw my cousin Fred and his girlfriend Camille approaching us.

"And why should I do that, Weasley?" asked the boy, not letting go of my wrist.

Fred reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. "You really want to test me, kid? I'm two years older than you and I can guarantee I could beat you in a dual. So let go of my cousin. Now."

He dropped my wrist. "Whatever, she's probably a prude anyway. Maybe I can get her sister to show me a good time."

In the blink of an eye, Fred had sent a Bat-Bogey Hex straight at him. The three of us watched in amusement as he screamed and took off down the street, the rest of his friends right behind him.

"That was a little too easy," said Fred.

Camille turned to me. "Are you alright, Dom?"

I nodded, still a little shaken. "Yeah, they were just being idiots."

"Next time just hex them yourself, Dom. I've seen you in action. You could have taken them all easily," said Fred.

"Yeah, I know. I just sort of…froze up, I guess."

Camille patted my arm sympathetically. "That's totally understandable, Dom. Those guys are creeps."

At that moment, Liz appeared. She looked at my stricken expression, at Camille's hand on my arm, and at the wand still clutched tightly in Fred's hand.

"What'd I miss?"

"Come on," I said. "Let's go inside and I'll explain it to you."

Ten minutes later, we were sitting at a table, butterbeers in hand. I'd just finished telling Liz what had happened.

"You know what I think?" said Liz.

"What?"

"This happened to you because of the thing with Colby."

My face scrunched up in confusion. "How?"

"I told you that your horoscope said that seeking confrontation would cause something bad to happen to you. Maybe being sexually harassed by a Slytherin was the bad thing."

"Liz, I know I've told you this a million times. But you are utterly insane."

She smiled. "Hey," she said. "It's your sister."

I turned around. Sure enough Vic had just walked into the pub. I watched as she walked over to the table where Teddy was sitting and sat down.

She didn't even glance in my direction.

I watched them for a while, laughing and flirting, and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Vic really was lucky. Teddy was a great guy.

How come she attracted guys like him, while the only people I attracted were Xavier Smudgeley and creepy Slytherins who wanted to get in my pants?

Of course, being Victoire, she managed also managed to attract the attention of nearly everyone in the pub.

"I love you, you git!" I heard her shout from across the room.

Everyone turned to stare at her. She buried her face in her hands.

"Well, I'm glad she decided that she needed to broadcast that to the entire pub. I was dying to know the status of their relationship," I said sarcastically, watching as she and Teddy got up and headed outside, fingers entwined.

"Do you know Teddy's zodiac sign is?" asked Liz suddenly.

"No, Liz. I don't," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Well, I hope he's compatible with Vic. They're sweet together."

"Yes, because if they're relationship fails, I'm sure it will because their zodiac signs are incompatible."

"Speaking of zodiac signs, what's Dylan's?"

"I don't know."

"What's his birthday?"

"September 28th," I replied.

Her face lit up. "That means he's a Libra!"

I stared at her blankly. "So?"

"So you're a Gemini. You two are perfect for each other!"

"Utterly insane," I murmured, standing up. "Come on, let's go to the bookshop."

"Alright," she agreed.

We passed by an alleyway and I spotted Vic pressed up against an abandoned building, snogging Teddy feverishly, his hand under her skirt.

I quickly looked away and hurried past.

"Well," said Liz, "now we know where those two went."

I pulled open the door to the bookshop and went inside. "She really doesn't waste time, does she? They were practically having sex right there."

"I think you're exaggerating a bit, Dom," said Liz, as she made a beeline for the Divination books.

"Just a bit!" I called after her.

I began wandering up and down the aisles of the shop, browsing through books. By chance, I happened upon my cousin Roxanne, who was also Vic's best friend. She was arguing with their friend Aidan about something.

"Merlin's beard, Aidan! That's the fifth time in ten minutes you've mentioned Grace," I overheard her say. "She's on a date with Matthew. Get over it!"

"Hey, Rox," I said.

She stopped glaring at Aidan and turned to me. "Oh, hello, Dom."

Aidan also turned. "Hey, Dom," he said. "What do you think about Matthew Davies?"

Beside him, Rox rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath.

"Er," I said. "I don't really know him."

"But he's in Ravenclaw like you. Surely you have some sort of opinion on him."

"I'm only a fourth year. He's a seventh year. Our paths don't really cross."

"You must know something," he insisted.

"He seems like a nice guy," I said. "I dunno. Smart, I guess. Good at Quidditch."

This response did not seem to please Aidan. He glanced around the shop, his eyes locking on Liz.

"Hey," he said. "Your friend's, like, psychic, right?"

"She'd like to believe so," I replied, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"So she could tell me if Grace and Matthew's relationship will last?"

"Er, I don't think that she's all that reliable…" I trailed off as he took off toward her anyway. "Alright, don't listen to me. What do I know? I'm only her best friend," I said, mostly to myself.

Rox laughed. "He's pathetic."

"Seems so," I replied. "Well, see you."

She gave me a small wave, as she began walking in the opposite direction.

I wandered away as well, passing by Aidan and Liz.

"What are their zodiac signs?" I overheard Liz ask him.

I paused to flip through a book on dragons, wondering how long their conversation was going to last. It could be hours. Liz hardly ever found someone dumb enough to willingly listen to her long psychic analyses.

"Hey, Dom!" someone exclaimed behind me, causing me to jump slightly in surprise.

I turned. "Oh, hey, Xavier," I said. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he said, looking sheepish.

"It's okay," I replied.

He didn't respond. He just stood there, staring at me, a huge, goofy grin on his face.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Erm, how are you?"

"I'm great!"

He was always great. How could someone always be great? Didn't he know the world was actually a terrible place? There's war. There's hunger. There's death. It sucks.

I was in a pessimistic mood.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Not so great," I replied. "I kind of just want to go back to the castle. But Liz is talking to Aidan, so I'm kind of stuck here until she's finished."

We both glanced over at the two of them. They made an odd pair. Aidan in his T-shirt and jeans and baseball cap. Liz with her straggly, bum-length hair, floral blouse, and ankle-length skirt. Both caught up in a serious conversation about zodiac signs.

"Why do you want to head back to the castle?" asked Xavier, looking concerned.

I shrugged. "It's just been kind of a crappy day. This idiot Slytherin was harassing me."

"What Slytherin?"

"I don't know his name. I just know that he's in fifth year. Tall. Skinny. Short, brown hair."

"Sounds like Timothy Nott. His grandfather was a Death Eater."

I wrinkled my nose. "Lovely."

Xavier nodded, his eyes glued to my chest.

I sighed. "Xavier, I'm just going to go back to the castle now. When Liz finished talking will you tell her where I've gone?"

"Oh," he said, looking slightly disappointed. He'd probably been hoping to walk me back to the castle. "Sure."

"Thanks," I replied, smiling.

He blushed.

I pushed open the door and stepped out into the cool, September air. As I passed by Honeydukes, I spotted Teddy hugging some random girl. Vic was standing beside them, hands on her hips, a furious expression on her face.

I didn't even want to know.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

I knew that Vic and I weren't close, but sometimes there were moments when this little fact seemed more obvious than usual.

Take that day in mid-December. It wasn't an unusual day in any way. I woke up. I went to breakfast. I had an argument with Liz about tea leaves. I went to my classes. I went to lunch. I had an argument with Liz about crystal balls. I went to the rest of my classes. I went to dinner. I had an argument with Liz about the Grim.

It was just like any day. The only part that stood out was when I was heading back to the common room with Liz after dinner.

"Did you hear?" I heard a girl named Beth Clarke say to her friend, "Vic is having a girl."

I stopped walking. _A girl._

Vic was having a girl.

I was going to have a niece.

I was going to have a niece and I hadn't even heard about it from Vic. My own sister hadn't bothered to tell that she knew the sex of her child. I had to overhear it from some random Hufflepuff in the hallway.

"Yeah," Beth continued. "She just told me herself."

Well, that was a bit of a kick in the gut.

I didn't even know that Vic _knew_ Beth. And yet she'd somehow decided that Beth was more worthy of this news than her own sister.

Liz was staring at me. "You didn't know, did you?" she murmured.

"Don't tell me that _you_ did?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Well, at least I know I wasn't the last one to find out," I said, wishing that I didn't sound so bitter. Wishing that I didn't care so much.

Liz looked at me sympathetically. "Come on," she said, "let's go back to the common room."

I expected that the next day everyone would be talking about Vic having a girl. Hogwarts loved gossip, no matter how small.

But, to my surprise, something much bigger was being talked about.

Another student was pregnant. With a teacher's baby.

Her name was Bridget McCutcheon. All I knew about her was that she was a seventh year Slytherin. And she had singlehandedly turned Vic into yesterday's news.

Yesterday's news for everyone except me. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that Vic still hadn't bothered to tell me she was having a girl. For all she knew, I still didn't know at all.

So, when I passed by her in the hallway on my way to class, I stopped and called her name. I watched as she turned her head towards me, a confused expression on her face. I realized that I had not spoken to her since school had started.

Three and half months and not a word. How sad was that?

"I heard you're having a baby girl," I said, trying to keep my face as void of emotion as possible, not wanting her to see how much she'd hurt me.

_Three and half months._

"Yeah," she replied, "you heard right."

I stared at her. Waiting. Waiting for her to apologize. Waiting for to explain why she hadn't told me. Waiting for her to offer some explanation for how strained our relationship was. How sometimes I felt like we weren't really sisters at all.

But she didn't say anything. She just stood there, fiddling with her hair, looking bored. Four words. She'd said four words to me and she was already bored.

So I just nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she replied. And then she was gone.

_Three and a half months._

I sighed and walked away.

A week later, the Christmas holidays finally arrived. At King's Cross, I spotted my dad amongst the crowd of people, waiting for the three of us.

"Daddy!" I shouted, suddenly realizing how much I'd missed him.

Louis and I took off in his direction. He wrapped us in a hug. Louis immediately began telling him all about his first term at Hogwarts.

Then Dad looked up, distracted by something. I turned my head. He was staring at Vic. Or more specifically, he was staring at her stomach.

"Well, well, well," he said. "Look at you."

Vic just stood there, staring at the three of us, still hugging. Looking more like an outsider than ever before.

But then Louis told her to join us and she did. I felt her arm press against my back and I squirmed uncomfortably. My dad, who was on the other side of, seemed to notice this and he shot me a look. A look that basically said: Don't make this more awkward than it already is.

Back at the house, Mum met the three of us at the door. Louis and I chatted with her for a few minutes, while Vic remained silent, arms crossed over her chest.

Louis and I headed up to our rooms to unpack. A few minutes later I heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it could be, I opened my door and poked my head out. I heard voices. A woman talking to my mum. I listened closer. It was Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's grandmother. She must have come for dinner. I wondered if Teddy was with her. I assumed so. I doubted he'd give up the chance to see Victoire.

Sure enough, I soon heard the two of them coming up the stairs, laughing and talking loudly. I stepped back into my room and shut the door.

Soon it was Christmas day. We all headed to the Burrow to celebrate. Celestina Warbeck's horrid singing greeted us we entered. My mum gritted her teeth, mumbling under her breath. She was cut off by the appearance of my grandmother. Her scowl was immediately replaced by a smile as she greeted her. "Molly, dear! Merry Christmas!"

I couldn't help but feel secretly pleased at the sight of my grandma's expression when she caught sight of Vic's stomach. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes and I could feel her disapproval. I could hear the edge in her voice as she greeted her. I watched Vic squirm uncomfortably.

Of course, nobody could stay upset with Vic long. Grandma seemed to forgive her once she felt the baby kick. After that, all she could talk about was her first great-grandchild and how wonderful she was going to be.

At dinner, Vic started complaining loudly about the food. She turned to Dad and asked him to get her some fish and chips from town. She huffed in annoyance when he told her no, as if the idea of someone not wanting to interrupt their Christmas dinner to go get her takeout from town was simply preposterous. She immediately turned to Teddy. I rolled my eyes when he agreed to do it. The longing look he gave his plate of food seemed to give the impression that he was not too happy about it.

While he was gone, my cousin Rose engaged me in conversation. She and my other cousin Albus were first years like Louis. They both got on well enough with Louis, but he had never been particularly close to either of them. Rose and Albus, on the other hand, were best friends. Of course, Al's other best friend was Scorpius Malfoy, his fellow Slytherin, whom Rose absolutely despised. And who she loved to constantly complain about. To anyone who would listen.

After dinner, I was finally able to extract myself from the conversation and hurried away to find someone else to talk to. Someone who's idea of a conversation wasn't a long, tiresome story about every rude thing Scorpius Malfoy had ever done or said.

Surprisingly, once dinner was over, Vic and Teddy barely interacted. She headed upstairs with Rox instead. Maybe she was finally beginning to realize that there was more to life than boys.

Of course, once it was time to go home, Vic was back to her normal self. She wrapped herself in Teddy's arms, holding on to him like being separated from him would cause her to die. The last thing I saw as I threw down the handful of floo powder was the two of them snogging like their lives depended on it.

Though it seems that appearances can be deceiving. Vic and Teddy might have looked happy that night, but a few days later they were broken up.

Cause of break-up: Colin O'Brien. Vic's scumbag ex and the father of her baby.

Apparently Vic had gone to visit him behind Teddy's back. This had caused a huge argument between the two of them, ending with Vic telling him that she couldn't handle the stress of being in a relationship at the moment. Being pregnant was enough to deal with.

Apparently she really _had_ realized there was more to life than boys.

Of course, if Colin was really back in the picture, who knew how long that would last.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

"Do you think that Xavier's lost some weight?" asked Liz.

I peered down the Ravenclaw table to where he was sitting. "Maybe a little," I said.

"I think he's gotten a little taller too," she said. "Have you noticed?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, now that you mention it, he did seem to be about my height when I was talking to him a few days ago. He always used to be shorter."

"Hmm," murmured Liz.

"I don't think it's enough to be particularly noticeable though," I said. "He's still pretty short and fat."

"Yeah," agreed Liz. "I guess you're right."

It was late March. Vic was now the size of a whale. She was due in mid-April, but she looked like she could pop any second.

"I heard that Vic's going home tomorrow," said Liz, changing the subject.

"Yeah," I said. "I guess Flitwick thought she should go home before her due date, so she doesn't, like, go into labor in the middle of Potions class or something."

"I can't imagine how she's going to handle doing all her schoolwork and studying for N.E.W.T.s at home, while caring for a baby at the same time. That's going to be so stressful."

"Yeah, sucks to be her."

Liz rolled her eyes. "Wow, try to tone down the sympathy a little, Dom," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I poked at my food. "I'm so ready for this school year to be over."

"So you can see Dylan, right?" Liz teased.

I threw my roll at her. "Shut up."

The next week, I received the news that Vic had given birth a few weeks prematurely. Flitwick, the Headmaster, called us to his office to tell us the news. I remember my heart racing at the word "premature".

"Is she alright?" I asked. "What about the baby? Is the baby okay?" I tried to keep the panic out of my voice, but I couldn't. Beside me, Louis's face had gone white. He reached out and grabbed my hand.

Flitwick assured us that both Vic and her daughter were fine. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew that Vic drove me crazy, but if something had happened to her…

Louis and I were allowed to go see her and the baby in the hospital. I walked into the room with Louis by my side. Mum and Dad were nowhere in sight. They'd probably gone to get food or something. Vic was lying in the bed, asleep. Colin was sitting in a chair beside the bed, holding the baby.

I sighed when I realized that Colin was the only other conscious person in the room. That meant that I was going to have to talk to him.

"Hey, Colin," I said.

He turned around his seat to face us. He looked exhausted. I noticed that he'd finally cut his hair. Surprisingly, he actually looked semi-attractive. But he was probably still a dick.

"Oh," he said. "Hey, Dom. Louis."

I walked over to him and peered down at the little girl in his arms. "What's her name?"

"Jacqueline Fleur O'Brien," he replied. "Jackie for short."

"She's cute," I said.

"She's _perfect_," he said.

I tore my gaze away from my niece and looked back at Colin. He was staring down at Jackie. At his daughter. And he looked so proud. So happy. So… not like the cocky jerk that he usually was.

Maybe there was hope for him. Maybe he could change.

He looked up at me. "So, Dom," he said, "when did you get tits?"

Or maybe not.

I ignored him. "Can I hold her?" I asked.

He nodded, handing her to me. "Be careful."

I smiled down at her. "Hey, Jackie," I said. "I'm your aunt Dom. It's nice to meet you."

Louis came to stand by me. "I'm your uncle Louis," he said. "I probably don't look old enough to be an uncle. I've only just turned twelve. But I am, I swear."

"Shhh, Louis. Don't talk so loud. You're going to…"

"Dom?" I heard Vic say.

"…wake up Vic," I finished, turning around. "Hey, Vic."

She stared at Louis and me. "When did you two get here?"

"Like five minutes ago," I replied.

Her gaze drifted to Jackie, who was still in my arms. "You better not drop her. Do you even know how to hold a baby?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Vic. I know how to hold a baby."

She bit her lip, appearing to be contemplating whether or not she should jump out of bed and snatch the baby away from me. Finally, she seemed to decide I was trustworthy enough and lay back down.

"So what do you think?" she asked. "Of Jackie, I mean."

"She's… amazing. And so tiny."

"I know, right? I'm scared that if I'm not careful for one minute, I'm going to accidently break her or something," said Vic, her voice quivering slightly.

For the first time I considered how scary this must be for her. Jackie was completely dependent on her. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. To have someone else's life in your hands.

"Well," I said, considering this. "I guess you better be careful every minute."

For the first time in ages, Vic smiled at me. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm hungry!' Louis announced, effectively ending any semblance of sisterly bonding time that Vic and I might have been having.

"Same," said Colin. "Want to come find some food with me?"

Louis nodded enthusiastically. "Want to come with us, Dom?" he asked me.

I considered this. If I stayed, it would be just Vic and me. Alone. We had been getting along just a minute before, but I wasn't sure how long that would actually last.

So I handed Jackie over to Vic. "Sure," I said.

The next time I saw Vic and Jackie was when I came home for the Easter holiday a few weeks later. Colin was constantly hanging around our house, apparently trying to take his role as a father seriously. I mostly stayed in my room so that I didn't have to talk to them.

On Easter Sunday my parents, Louis, and I headed to the Burrow through the Floo Network. Vic, Colin, and Jackie had left hours earlier by car.

When we arrived, Luis and my dad headed straight for the kitchen, probably hoping to find some food. Mum and I started toward the living room.

We paused in the doorway, surveying the room and large amount of relatives that were already there. "Hey, look," I said, pointing toward the couch where Vic and Colin were sitting, "Vic and Colin are already here."

My mom opened her mouth to reply, but shut it when she saw Colin wrap his arm around Vic's waist, pressing her up against the arm of the couch, attempting to wrestle her wand from her grip. Their bodies were molded together and his hand was dangerously close to her bum. I expected her to shove him off her, as she had been very clear that they were just friends and nothing more. But she didn't. Instead she just playfully slapped him, giggling loudly.

I glanced at the other side of the room and spotted Teddy sitting there, staring at them.

I shook my head. Way to stay classy, Vic. Nothing like openly flirting with your ex in front of your other ex.

My mum turned to me, her moth pressed together in a thin line. "I didn't know zose two were getting along so well," she said.

I assumed that by 'getting along so well' she meant 'totally shagging'.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, you know how Vic is."

"I 'ope 'e doesn't 'urt 'er again," she said, watching as the two of them stood up and starting heading in our direction.

_He probably will, _I said to myself. Out loud, though, I just patted her arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure he won't."

* * *

><p><em>The next chapter will have Dylan in it, I promise.<em>


	9. Chapter 9

Summer finally arrived and so, of course, did Dylan.

I didn't know exactly when he was coming, so when I spotted him in town one day in late June, I was a little caught off guard.

He was leaning up against a building, head tilted back, exhaling a thin stream of smoke from his mouth.

A flash of disgust passed over me as I realized that he'd taken up smoking.

Except, then I noticed that he'd grown at least three inches since I'd last seen him. And I noticed how his jaw flexed as he stared off into space. I remembered what Liz had said about his jaw line and suddenly I realized that she was right. It _was_ rather superb.

I shook my head, annoyed that I was getting distracted by his looks instead of scolding him for his new habit.

So I marched up to him, hands on my hips, and gave him the sternest glare I could muster. "What the hell are you doing?"

He dropped the cigarette and smashed it into the ground with his shoe. "Well, hello to you too, Dom. It's good to see you. The past year's been great for me. Thanks for asking."

I dropped my hands to my sides and let out an annoyed sigh. "Yeah. Yeah. It's good to see you. Blah. Blah. Blah. Whatever."

"Wow. I'm really feeling the love. Did you not miss me at all, Dom?" He was staring at me, his brown eyes wide, pouting. "That's really hurtful, you know," he continued, trying to keep a smile from creeping onto his face. "I've been at home, pining for you, and you didn't even miss me."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Pining for me? Shut up. You're being ridiculous."

He chuckled, holding out his arms. "Come here."

I crossed my arms, standing my ground.

The pout was back. "Come on, Dom. I'm sorry that I started smoking. Please forgive me."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in his chest. "I missed you," I mumbled into his T-shirt. His arms wound around waist, pulling me closer.

After a minute, I pulled away slightly, tilting my head up so I could see is face. "But, seriously, Dylan. You're fifteen. You're too young to be smoking."

"I'm almost sixteen," he said defensively.

"Not until the end of September," I replied. "It's still June. Besides, sixteen is still too young. Any age is too young. Nobody should smoke. It's disgusting."

"Alright,_ Mom_," he said. "Can you save the lecture for another time?"

I dropped my hands and took a step back. "Want to meet my niece?"

"Sure," he said. "Her name's Jackie, right?"

I nodded and we began walking.

"So," he said, after a few moments of silence. "How's your love life doing?"

I snorted. "When has my love life ever been anything but nonexistent?"

He shrugged. "I don't know about that. I seem to recall you telling about kissing a certain boy last year. I believe his name was Xavier."

I glared at him. "Thanks for reminding me, Dylan. Just when I was beginning to forget about that, you had to bring it up, didn't you?"

"So I assume that means the two off you aren't secretly hooking up in the empty classrooms of Hogwarts?" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Eww, Dylan," I said, cringing at the thought. "That's a horrible thing to say."

"Alright, then, so nothing's happening with Xavier. But there's got to be someone. I can't believe that a girl who looks like you could be single for long."

"Looks like me?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, yeah. You're fucking gorgeous."

I felt my face heat up. "I am not."

He laughed. "Yeah, right. I guarantee that if you actually put yourself out there for once, you could find dozens of guys who'd sleep with you in an instant."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, as romantic as that sounds, I'm not really looking for a guy who's only interested in shagging me."

"Well, you're not going to meet anybody if you don't put yourself out there. You're too shy, did you know that?"

I ignored his question. "Well, what about you?" I asked. "How's your love life?"

He shrugged. "I just got out of a relationship a few weeks ago, actually.

"Why'd you two break up?" I asked.

"She was annoying as hell. Whiny, clingy, stupid. Her stupidity was the worst part. Anytime I made any kind of reference to history, or literature, or anything that can't be found in Seventeen magazine, she's just give me a blank look. She literally thought that the sun and the moon were the same thing. She thought the sun turned into the moon at night! Can you believe that?"

I shook my head, laughing. "That's hilarious."

We finally arrived at Shell Cottage. I sighed when I noticed Colin was outside, sitting on the steps.

"Merlin, Colin," I said as we approached him. "Don't you ever go home?"

He took a drag of the cigarette he was smoking. "Why would I want to?" he asked. "My daughter and girlfriend both live here."

Vic and Colin had, unfortunately, gotten back together.

I turned to Dylan, who was eyeing Colin's cigarette. "You coming in?"

"Yeah, just a minute, you go on ahead" he said, sitting down next to Colin. "Can I bum a cigarette, man? I'm all out."

"Sure," said Colin, reaching into his pocket.

"I swear, Colin. If you give him that, I will hex you into oblivion."

He turned to look at me. "No, you won't."

"Yes, I will!"

"You don't even have your wand with you, Dom," he said. "Look at what you're wearing. There's no where to put it."

I glanced down at myself. Tank top and denim shorts. He was right. There was no where my wand could be.

"Not that we don't appreciate you wearing that," he added, smirking, his eyes locking on my chest.

I rolled my eyes. "I hate you, did you know that?"

He just chuckled.

"Come on, Dylan," I said. "Inside. Now."

"Jesus, man. She's got you whipped," said Colin, as Dylan stood up.

"I could same the same thing about you," I said, glowering at him. "Vic's got you on a pretty tight leash herself."

His eyes narrowed. "Whatever."

Dylan followed me into the house. We found Vic reading to Jackie in the living room. I didn't completely understand why a three-month-old needed to be read to, but Vic had said it was important for her development.

"Hey, Vic," I said.

She looked up. "Oh, hey, Dom." Her eyes drifted to Dylan. "Hey, Dylan."

"Dylan wanted to meet Jackie," I said.

So she handed the baby over to me and lay back down on the couch. She looked exhausted. She _always _looked exhausted.

"Why don't you rest?" I suggested. "Dylan and I can watch the baby for a while."

"I can't rest," she said. "I have things to do."

"Make Colin do them."

We heard the door open. Colin was coming back inside.

"Colin!" Vic shouted. "Come here!"

We heard footsteps and a moment later he appeared. "What?"

"Can you please run some errands for me?" she said. "The list is on the kitchen counter. I need a nap."

Even though I'd seen him do it a million times now, I still couldn't help but feel slightly surprised whenever I saw Colin act maturely and responsibly. I guess there was a part of me that would always thing of him as the "pre-Jackie" Colin. The one who would leave his pregnant girlfriend to fend for herself.

But, even I had to admit Colin had changed. Instead of rolling his eyes or complaining, he just nodded. "Sure, babe," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait," said Vic. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to me?"

I rolled my eyes.

But, Colin turned back around and walked over to her, leaning down to kiss her. "I love you," he said.

"Love you too," she murmured, gazing into his eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like I shouldn't be there. Glancing over at Dylan, I could tell he was feeling awkward as well.

Luckily, Jackie started crying, interrupting the two of them. Colin straightened up. "Bye," he said, before turning to go.

Dylan, it turned out, was really good with babies. He said it was because he had lots of younger cousins who he constantly had to babysit. I watched, smiling, as he tickled Jackie's stomach, causing her to giggle hysterically.

After an hour or two, Jackie was completely infatuated with him. When Colin came back, he found us all still in the living room. Vic was asleep on the couch. I was sitting in a chair, reading. And Dylan was lying on the floor, with Jackie on his chest.

The look on Colin's face was priceless. He was completely jealous. I stifled my laughter as he immediately snatched Jackie away from Dylan.

"Thanks for looking after her," he told. "But I can take it from here."

A few days later, Dylan and I were down at the beach. The sun was setting over the ocean and we were both laughing about a story he had just told.

He turned and stared out at the ocean, the water tinted orange from the sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said, raising his camera and snapping a picture of it.

"Yeah," I agreed.

He stretched out in the sand, arms behind his head. A lock of brown hair flopped in his eyes and he smiled his usual lopsided grin.

I felt an unfamiliar tingling in my stomach. "Very beautiful," I murmured.

I watched as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

I sighed. "Dylan…"

He ignored me, lighting the cigarette and taking a drag. "You should try one," he told me.

I wrinkled my nose. "Erm, no. I have no interest in becoming a smoker."

"I don't want you to become a smoker either," he said. "I think you should just try_ one_ cigarette. It's an experience. It's something you can say you've done."

I thought about it for a moment. I always followed the rules. I was quiet and respectful and, at least in some people's eyes, boring. Smoking a cigarette would certainly be something nobody would expect from me. Something exciting. Adventurous. Dangerous. The opposite of how I usually was.

Dylan was watching me. "You don't have to, Dom," he murmured. "It was just a suggestion."

I reached for the pack of cigarettes. "No, I want to."

"Seriously, Dom," he said. Don't feel like you have to. You know I'd _never_ pressure you to something that you don't want to do."

"I know you wouldn't," I said, putting the cigarette in my mouth. I picked up the lighter, hesitating for a moment. What was I doing? Was I crazy? I hated smoking!

But I ignored the little voice in my head, screaming at me to stop, and lit it. I inhaled the smoke into my lungs. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Exhaling, I coughed so much that I was sure I was about to hack up a lung. I felt light-headed and dizzy. I quickly put out the cigarette.

"That was horrible!" I said, once I stopped coughing. "How can you stand it?"

"It gets a lot better," he said. "The first time sucks."

I closed my eyes. "Well, remind me to never try it again."

'"Trust me," he said, "I don't want you to. I don't want anything to happen to those clean little lungs of yours."

"What about _your_ lungs?" I asked. "Why do you do it?"

He shrugged. "It's addictive."

I lay down next to him, yawning.

"Tired already?" he asked, grinning. "It's only 9:20. My grandma probably isn't even asleep yet."

"Shut up," I said, smiling.

* * *

><p><em>That story Dylan told Dom about the girl thinking that the sun turned into the moon at night was based on reality. My dad told me about someone he knew seeing both of them in the sky at the same time and being confused because she thought they were the same thing. Which is just really sad when you think about it. I think the girl was in her twenties too. <em>


	10. Chapter 10

On August 31, the day before I would be returning to school for my fifth year of school and Louis for his second, my parents decided that it would be nice for us to all spend the day together as a family. We never seemed to spend any time together anymore. Louis was always locked in his room, a fact which greatly concerned my parents. He never seemed to hang out with his friends anymore. He was always by himself, doing god knows what. I was always off somewhere with Dylan. And Vic had recently moved into Colin's flat.

Vic and Colin were supposed to come over at 9:00 for breakfast. At 9:15 there was still no sign of them. Louis tried to sneak a piece of bacon from the kitchen, but was caught by my mum. My stomach growled and I contemplated sneaking out the back door and finding Dylan. But I decided that the hell my mum would raise if I tried that would not be worth it.

"I know zey haven't forgotten," said my mum. "Vic dropped Jackie off at 8:30 and said zat she and Colin would be back in thirty minutes."

"Colin's probably not awake yet," I said, bouncing Jackie on my knee. "Why does he even have to come? He's not part of the family."

My mum shot me look. "Yes, 'e is."

"No, he's not," I said. "They're not married. He's _never _gonna marry her, you know that right?"

"No, I don't know zat!" she snapped. "I'm sure zey'll get married someday. Zey're just too young right now."

"Alright," I said, surprised at how naïve she was being about this. "If that's how you sleep at night."

She pursed her lips together tightly and it occurred to me that maybe that _was_ how she slept at night. After all, Vic was eighteen, a mum, and living with her boyfriend, whom my mum had disapproved of from the beginning. Perhaps it _had_ occurred to her that Colin was probably never going to marry Vic. But, she had convinced herself that he would because it was the only thing keeping her sane.

I opened my mouth to apologize, to say that I was wrong, that I was sure they would get married at some point, but the door opened and Vic came hurrying into the room.

"Where's Colin?" I asked.

"He had to work," she replied, taking Jackie from me.

"Work?" asked Mum. "You said that he had today off."

"He had to cover for someone else," she said. "He just found out this morning. That's why I'm late."

"Well," said my mum, standing up. "Zat's disappointing."

I rolled my eyes. In what universe could this possibly be considered disappointing? In my mind, any moment not spent with Colin was a moment well spent.

At breakfast, Vic was quiet. My mum kept asking her questions, trying to engage her in conversation, but she'd just respond with a nod or a word or two.

Finally, after about twenty minutes of this, my dad caught my mum's eye and shook his head. _Leave her alone_. My mum fell quiet.

After breakfast, my mum announced that we should all take a walk together down at the beach.

"What's the point of a walk if you don't have a dog?" asked Louis.

"I told Dylan I'd hang out with him today," I protested.

"You 'ang out with 'im everyday," replied my mum. "We are spending today together as a family."

"But, school starts tomorrow. It's my last chance to see him until next year!"

"I don't care," replied Mum. "Family is more important zan some boy."

On the walk, I fell behind everyone else. Louis had run ahead, chasing something. My parents were walking together, trying to keep up with him. Vic was right behind them, carrying Jackie in a sling, still silent.

I was lost in thought, when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and found that Vic had fallen into step beside me. "Er, can I help you with something?" I asked, wondering why she had chosen to walk with me.

"Does Dylan do drugs?" she asked, her voice low.

That was probably the last thing I expected to come out of her mouth. "What?"

"Does Dylan do drugs?" she repeated.

"Er," I said. "I think maybe he does, sometimes. I don't know. It's not something we talk about."

She stopped walking. I stopped too. "Why are you even asking me this?" I asked.

"I just… I, erm…Colin was telling me this story about his dad and it made me realize that drugs can really screw up a person's life and I… I just don't want you to get caught up in that kind of stuff because Dylan convinces you to or something."

I remembered what Dylan had said to me a few months before when I decided I wanted to try a cigarette. "_You know I'd _never_ pressure you to something that you don't want to do."_

"Don't worry about that," I said. "He wouldn't do something like that. Besides, I'm pretty sure that the extent of his drug use is just smoking pot once in awhile."

Vic nodded. "Okay," she said. "Well… er, that's all." I watched as she hurried away, trying to catch up to everyone else.

She'd certainly surprised me with the showing concern for me thing, but of course she immediately walked away afterward. God forbid she actually have a conversation with me that lasted longer than three minutes.

Apparently Mum was serious about us spending the _entire _day together. We had lunch together. We played board games together. _Board games! _When she first suggested it, I thought she was joking. But, unfortunately, she wasn't. It wasn't until after dinner that I was finally able to escape.

I found Dylan sitting on the porch of his grandmother's house. He smiled when he saw me. "Where have you been?" he asked, coming down the steps and swinging his arm around my shoulder.

I pushed it off and started walking. "Spending time with my family," I said.

He quickly caught up to me. "But you left me all alone. I didn't know what to do with myself."

"I'm sure you managed just fine."

He looked at me for a moment for a while, not saying a word. Then he took off running down the street. "Come on!" he called over his shoulder.

I took off after him. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know," he said. "I just want to go do something. Something crazy. Something that we shouldn't be doing." He had a wild look in his eye. "This is the last time we're going to see each other for a year. We should do something that we'll remember."

I stopped running, panting slightly. "No, Dylan, it's getting late. I have school tomorrow. I can't do anything crazy, whatever that means, right now."

He came to a stop. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "Though I think someday we'll regret this. When we're old, we're going to look back on this moment and wish we'd thrown caution to the wind when we had the chance."

"Or maybe we'll be glad that we weren't reckless and stupid."

"Maybe," he said. "But you know what they say—'Cowards die many times before their deaths.'"

"Who said that?" I asked.

"Julius Caesar," he replied, "in the play by William Shakespeare."

"Well," I said. "I guess I'll just save not being a coward for another time."

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today," he said.

"And who said that?" I asked.

"Thomas Jefferson."

I shook my head, amazed. "How do you remember so many quotes?"

He shrugged. "I just remember things I read. It comes naturally."

I considered this for a moment. It must have been a nice skill to have. It would certainly make studying easier. "I should get home," I finally said. "I just wanted to come find you to say goodbye."

"Goodbye," he murmured, taking a step closer to me.

"Goodbye," I echoed, staring up at his face. He was standing so close… So very close. I could hear his breathing. I could see the flecks of gold in his eyes. I didn't know what to do. What to say. I felt paralyzed. Unable to speak.

"So I'm gonna go now," I finally managed to say, breaking the silence.

He pulled away from me, the trance we had been in broken.

For a minute, I regretted it. Why couldn't I have just stayed quiet? Seen where the moment had taken us.

_No_, I thought. Putting a stop to that was the best thing to do. Dylan and I were just friends. We made sense as friends. I only saw him a few months a year. He lived all the way on the other side of the ocean. Besides, I didn't even have those kinds of feelings for him.

Did I?

"I'll walk you home," he said, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened. Had he even noticed?

We walked in silence for a few minutes until I finally spoke.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," he said.

"I just hate not being able to see you every day," I said, as we approached my house.

"Well," he said. "Just remember— 'If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever.'" He turned to leave.

"Who said that?" I called after him.

He turned back around. "Winnie the Pooh," he replied with a wink. And then he was gone.

Who was Winnie the Pooh?

* * *

><p><em>I'd tell you to please review, but I assume you already know to do that.<em>

_(But, seriously. Please review!)_


	11. Chapter 11

I pushed through the crowds of people on Platform 9 and 3/4, trying to find Liz.

Past my Aunt Ginny scolding Albus for losing his pet rat (who we all hoped wasn't a crazy Voldemort supporter in disguise).

Past a groups of kids admiring the new Firebolt. "It's the fastest broomstick in the world!" a boy exclaimed.

Past my uncle Percy droning on and on about something boring. I didn't stop to say hello. No doubt I would be sucked into a never-ending conversation about broomstick regulations or some other nonsense if I did.

I finally spotted Liz saying goodbye to her parents and headed in her direction. But just when I had nearly reached her, someone blocked my path.

I looked up at the face of Timothy Nott, the Slytherin boy who had been harassing me last year in Hogsmeade. He smirked down at me. "Hello, Dom."

I gulped, my stomach feeling queasy. "Leave me alone."

Of course, though, he didn't. Perhaps he knew that Fred had graduated and was not going to come hex him this time.

"How's your sister?" he asked.

"Fine," I mumbled.

"Is she still wasting her time fucking Teddy Lupin?"

I tried to push past him, but he blocked my path. "Aw, you're not leaving are you? I asked you a question. It'd be quite rude to ignore me."

"No," I said, my teeth gritted. "She's back with her baby's father."

"That muggle? Merlin, that's even worse. Doesn't she know how much more exciting her life would be with me? "

"I'm sure that she doesn't have any interest wasting her time with you. I think she has higher standards than some scumbag, grandson of a _Death Eater_!"

He laughed harshly, his eyes flashing angrily. "'Scumbag, grandson of a Death Eater', huh? You think you and your sister are better than me because you're Weasleys and I'm just the grandson of some Death Eater I never even met? You think I run around hexing muggle-borns and worshiping Voldemort or something? Is that why you don't like me?"

"Are you kidding me? I don't like you because you're an asshole. You harass me and you say horrible things about my sister! Regardless of who your grandfather is, you're still a scumbag who Vic would never be interested in! So stop acting like a creepy stalker and stay away from us both!"

I saw his fists clench and suddenly I was scared again. What if he tried to hurt me? Why did I always let me temper get the better of me in these situations?

Fortunately for me, Liz chose that moment to appear. She grabbed my arms and dragged me away.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, as we boarded the train. "Why are you screaming at Timothy Nott in front of nearly everyone you know? Do have a death wish? Do you know who his father is?"

I sighed. "What did you do to your hair?"

"You're changing the subject," she said, as we found an empty compartment and sat down.

"Yes, I am. But I actually really want to know."

Liz's hair was no longer down to her bum. She had cut nearly five inches of it off. And her natural mousy brown color had been replaced by bleach blonde.

"I needed a change," she said. "But I'm not sure if I like it or not. I was thinking of maybe dying it black, with a purple streak. Or maybe, like, a deep red color."

"Hmm," I said. "Interesting."

She tugged at my hair. "Have you ever thought about changing_ your_ hair?" she asked. "I don't think I've ever seen it out of this stupid ponytail."

"Hey," I said, defensively. "There's nothing wrong with a ponytail. It's simple. I don't have to worry about my hair every morning. I just throw it up and go."

"Booooring."

"Thank you for your opinion," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll be sure to take it to heart."

"Maybe," she said with a wicked grin, "you just like the way Dylan tugs on it when he kisses you."

I sighed heavily. "Are you really going to start with this again? I've told you a million times that I have never kissed Dylan."

She smiled, leaning back in her seat. "Your horoscope said that—"

"No!"

Later that evening, Liz and I were sitting in the Ravenclaw common room after the feast. I was ranting about Dylan's smoking habit and Liz was nodding sympathetically, when she glanced over my shoulder and let out a loud gasp.

"What?" I asked.

"Turn around," she hissed.

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

I turned around. "What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?" I asked. All I saw were a group of second years playing Exploding Snap. I noticed that Louis wasn't with them. Apparently he'd abandoned his school friends as well. "Did you have a premonition about a freak accident involving Exploding Snap or something?"

"No," she replied. "I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about Xavier."

"Xavier? I don't see Xavier."

"Look again."

I sighed, scanning the room. I spotted a boy sitting on a couch by himself. He looked a lot like Xavier. Except at least fifty pounds lighter. And five inches taller. My mouth dropped open when I realized that it _was_ Xavier.

I turned back to Liz, my mouth still hanging open in shock. "When did that happen?"

"Well, I noticed that he had lost a little weight and gotten a little taller last year," she said.

"Yeah, but nowhere near that much," I said. "Can that even happen in two months? Do you think magic was involved?"

She shook her head. "I dunno." Then her eyes lit up. "You should go say hello to him!"

I lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because he's not half bad looking now. And since you seem _determined_ to make sure that nothing happens between you and Dylan, you should give this a go."

"Liz," I said, "he might look alright, but that does not mean his personality as changed a bit. And that does not mean that he does not still smell like beef jerky. If he still smells like beef jerky, then it doesn't matter how he looks."

"Then go smell him!"

"Excuse me?"

"Go see if he still smells like beef jerky."

I stared at her. She had lost her mind. Poor girl. "Absolutely not."

She stood up. "Fine, then I will."

"How are you going to smell him without him noticing?"

"You'll see," she replied.

I watched as she crossed the room to where Xavier was sitting. I couldn't hear what she was saying to him, but she was waving her arms around enthusiastically and smiling a lot. Xavier was staring up at her, looking confused. I didn't blame him. He and Liz hardly ever talked. The extent of their interaction was usually him saying hello to her while following me around. Finally, Liz furthered his confusion by pulling him up out of his seat and giving him a big hug. At first his arms dangled loosely at his side, but when Liz pulled him closer (so that she could get a good whiff of him, I suppose), his arms wound around her waist, his hands dangerously close to her bum.

After a few minutes, she returned, looking pleased with herself. "Not a whiff of beef jerky on him," she said. "He did, however, have some lovely aftershave on."

"Xavier Smugdeley shaving," I said. "Imagine that."

"So now that you know how he smells, will you go talk to him?"

I picked up a book. "No."

She snatched it away from me. "Why not?"

"Because I just don't have any interest in Xavier, okay?" I replied, snatching it back.

"But just think how happy it would make him. He's obsessed with you. You're probably the only girl who's ever kissed him."

"Well, that kiss lasted about two seconds. And the look of disgust on my face afterward should have clued him in. You on the other hand…"

"What about me?"

"Well, you pretty much just let him grope your arse. And you looked pretty happy about it the entire time. I wouldn't be surprised if he's found a new object of his affections…"

"I did not let him grope my arse!" she protested, looking offended.

"Yes, you did."

She looked annoyed. "I'm going to bed." She started to walk away.

"Hey, Liz," I called after her. She spun around.

"What?" she snapped.

"Your aura has a lot of pink in it," I said, mimicking what she had told me the year before. "And you know what that means."

She just glared at me, her hands on her hips.

"It means you're in loooove."

Her eyes widened. "I am not in love with Xavier Smudgeley!"

Everyone in the room, including Xavier himself, turned to stare at her. She clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized how loudly she had been speaking.

I followed her upstairs to the dormitory. She flopped down on her bed. "Well, that was humiliating."

"Aw, come on, Liz. You never get embarrassed. Don't worry about it."

She sighed heavily. "You're right. Who cares what nearly every single Ravenclaw in the school thinks about me. It doesn't matter."

"That's the spirit!"

She laughed, shaking her head.

I lay down on my bed. "I'm sorry, though. I'm sure your aura doesn't have any pink in it. I mean, I guess it could. It's not like I can see auras. I'm not even sure that I know what an aura is."

She groaned. "You don't know what an aura is? Remind me again why I'm your friend?"

"You love me."

"I suppose so," she said.

"But not as much as you love Xavier."

"If I could reach my wand without moving, I would hex you."

* * *

><p><em>I just posted photos of what I think each of the characters looks like on my profile, so check those out if your interested and let me know what you think.<em>

_Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!_


	12. Chapter 12

A week later, Liz and I were eating breakfast. Liz had her nose buried in the _Daily Prophet_, reading some article about a Grim sighting somewhere in Northern Ireland.

Just as I was about to snatch the paper from her and force her to make conversation, Xavier passed by.

"Hey, Liz," he said, smiling brightly.

She looked up. "Hey, Xavier."

He nodded briefly in my direction and hurried off.

I smirked at Liz. "I was right," I said smugly.

"Right about what, exactly?" she huffed, closing her paper and setting it aside.

"You're the new object of his affection. He said hello to you and practically ignored me. Our roles have been reversed."

She groaned. "Great."

"You're going to fall in love with him. You're going to marry him and make babies with him."

"I'm never going to get married," she replied.

This response surprised me. I had expected her to say something about never marrying _Xavier_, not _anyone_.

"That seems a little pessimistic," I said. "You're fifteen. I wouldn't worry about being alone for the rest of your life quite yet."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't plan on being alone for the rest of my life. I'm just not going to get married. I don't believe in marriage."

My face scrunched up in confusion. "You don't believe in marriage? Why?"

She shrugged. "I just don't see the point. If I'm in love with someone and I want to spend the rest of my life with them, then I will. I don't need a little piece of paper from the government to make a life-long commitment to someone. It's between me and the other person. Nobody else."

"But…"

"But what?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"But you have to get married. If you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, then you marry them. It's what you're supposed to do."

She crossed her arms. "Well, I don't see the point."

I considered this. But, no matter how I thought about it, I just couldn't bring myself to agree with her. I thought every little girl dreamed of getting married one day. Finding that one special guy. Having the most beautiful wedding in the world. Having kids. Growing old together.

I was about to reply, when I saw Louis shuffle in to the Great Hall. As usual, he was by himself. And, as usual, he didn't seem to care. Sometimes, it really seemed like he was off in his own world. Completely oblivious to everything and everyone around him. He was starting to worry me.

Later that day, Liz and I were sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Though the bell had rung ten minutes earlier, Professor Thomas was nowhere in sight. So of course the entire class was in an uproar.

In the corner, two Hufflepuffs were snogging feverishly.

A boy named Paul had put a Growth Charm on a spider he'd found and was currently sending zooming around the room, much to the delight of his friends.

Liz was casually leaning back in her chair, painting her nails.

I was writing a letter to Dylan, ducking every so often as the spider came flying by.

Finally, Professor Thomas came hurrying into the room. Immediately everyone got quiet. The couple in the corner managed to separate themselves. The spider was immediately shrunk back to normal size and sent on its way. Liz straightened up, pocketing her nail polish. I shoved Dylan's letter in my bag.

"Sorry I'm late. Something urgent came up," said Professor Thomas. "Though, by the looks of it," he added, surveying the room, "none of you minded too much."

"God," murmured a girl behind me. "He's so sexy."

I rolled my eyes. Sure, Dean Thomas was an attractive man. But he was like 38. And he used to date my Aunt Ginny back when they were at Hogwarts. How weird was that?

"We're going to be doing a group project," he continued.

I groaned inwardly. All around me, people began making eye contact and signaling to friends across the room.

"And it's going to worth a good chunk of your grade, so you better take it seriously, people."

Great.

He continued explaining the project to us, outlining everything it would entail. It was the first week of school and my world load was already piling up. Much more so than last year. Fifth year was going to be fun. And I meant that in the most sarcastic way possible.

"So pair up in groups of three and get started," he finished, dismissing us with a wave of his hand.

I turned to Liz. "We need one more person."

We both glanced around the room. Everyone already seemed to have found their groups.

"Hey, do you mind if joined your group?"

I turned around. Xavier was already pulling up a chair, though neither of us had replied. He sat down, scooting uncomfortably close to Liz. She shot me an exasperated look.

"Sure…" I replied.

He smiled. "Great!"

While he was looking something up, his head buried in his textbook, Liz scribbled something on a scrap of parchment and pushed it towards me.

_His knee keeps bumping mine. Help me!_

I laughed silently, and shrugged my shoulders. "Sorry," I mouthed.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, something she always did when she was annoyed or stressed.

Xavier head popped out from his book. "I found it!"

"That's great, Xavier, really," I said. "But do you think that we can work on this another time? We have a week to do this project and right now I jus want to rest. I got, like, no sleep last night."

"Oh," he said. "Yeah, sure."

An awkward silence ensued. I cleared my throat. Liz started flipping through her textbook, obviously not reading any of it. I could hear the _tick, tick, tick_ of the clock.

"Your hair looks nice, Liz," Xavier finally said. "Being blonde suits you."

She smiled faintly. "Thanks."

He continued starting at her.

"Er," she said. "You look good too. You, erm, got a lot taller."

"I lost a lot of weight too," he said. "You can say it. I won't be offended."

Her smile got a little bigger. "You look really good."

"Yeah, you mentioned that the other night when you, erm… when you hugged me." He blushed.

She shook her head. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I was, you know, just…erm…"

She trailed off, obviously unsure of how to tell him that she had been sniffing him.

"It's okay," he said. "I didn't mind."

Liz scooted her chair a little closer to his. Shaking my head, I lay my head down on the desk and closed my eyes.

"So, how'd you lose so much weight?" I heard Liz ask.

I never heard his reply because I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to the sound of the bell. Liz and Xavier were still deep in conversation. As they stood up, pushing in their chairs and gathering up their things, Liz threw her head back and laughed loudly. Apparently Xavier Smudgeley could be funny. Who knew?

On our way back to the common room, Liz seemed quite happy. She was even humming to herself.

"Oh my god," I said, coming to a stop. "You _like_ him. You like Xavier Smudgeley."

She stopped walking as well. "Seriously, Dom. Are you really going to start this again?"

"No," I said. "This time I'm serious. Before I was just teasing with all that talk about falling in love and marrying him. But now I mean it. You _like_ him."

"No, I don't," she replied. "I just don't see what you were always complaining about. He seems like a really nice guy."

"Yes, you do!" I argued. "You were humming! You can't stop smiling! "

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. I saw the two of you. I can't see auras, but I would bet money that yours has pink in it right now."

"Hey, Dom!" I heard someone call.

I turned around to see my cousin Roxanne running toward me. "The headmaster wants to see you in his office."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

She shrugged. "Dunno. I'm just the messenger."

"We'll talk about this later," I called to Liz over my shoulder, as I began heading in the direction of Flitwick's office."I'm not going to forget."

Flitwick smiled at me when I entered his office. "Hello, Miss Weasley," he squeaked. "Please sit down."

"Am I in trouble?" I asked, cautiously taking a seat.

"No, of course not," he replied. "I actually wanted to speak to you about your brother."

"Louis? Why?"

"Well, it seems his grades are slipping. Drastically. Last year he had extremely good grades. A Ravenclaw through and through," he said, smiling proudly. "But this year, they're terrible."

"We've been in school a week," I said. "How bad could they be?"

"His teachers have informed me that he doesn't show up to class half the time. And when he does, he never bothers to do work or turn in assignments. He just sits there and doesn't talk to anyone."

"He was like that over the summer too," I told him. "He stopped hanging out with his friends. He just locked himself in his room and hardly ever came out."

Flitwick peered at me over the top of his glasses. "And do you have any idea why that might be?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I guess there have been a lot of changes in his life recently. Vic had a baby. She moved out of the house. My parents probably don't pay as much attention to him as they used to. Maybe this is his way of coping or something."

Flitwick continued looking at me.

"I haven't been paying as much attention to him as I used to, either," I admitted, suddenly feeling a little guilty. "I mean, I'm not ignoring him or anything. We still talk. Just not as much as we used to."

"Hmmm," said Flitwick. "I see."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Will you try talking to him?" asked Flitwick.

I nodded. "Of course."

He smiled kindly. "Good. Off you go then, Miss Weasley."

* * *

><p><em>I don't really like how this chapter turned out, but hopefully you liked it anyway. Please review!<em>


	13. Chapter 13

The following Monday, I cornered Louis in the hallway. "Louis!" I snarled. "We need to talk. Now."

"Hey, Dom," he said nervously. "What's up?"

I glared at him, my hands on my hips. "I had to talk to Flitwick a few days ago. Any idea what that might have been about?"

He shrugged, taking a step backwards. "Beats me."

I raised my eyebrows. He smiled innocently, his blue eyes wide.

"We were talking about you, Lou," I said. "Do you know why?"

He shook his long hair out of his eyes and looked up at me. "Nope."

"You need a haircut," I said, distracted for a moment, as a chunk of blonde hair fell right back in his face.

He ignored me, glancing down at his watch. "Can you wrap this up? I need to get to class."

"Oh, so you're actually planning on going today?"

He froze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play stupid with me, Louis. I just told you I was talking to Flitwick. He told me all about how you're not going to class or turning in your assignments."

He lifted an eyebrow. "So?"

I stared at him. What had happened to the happy-go-lucky kid from a few months ago? The one who always went to class. The one who had friends. The one who always had a grin on his face and something nice to say to everyone. This wasn't him.

"_So_?" I nearly shrieked. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I don't see what the problem is here," he said.

"The problem is you're failing all your classes and it's only the second week of school!"

"Yeah, well, I don't like school!"

"Nobody _likes_ school," I said, exasperated. "But we all go anyway. And we try our best. Because if we don't, then we flunk out. And then we can't get a job. And we've managed to screw up our entire futures. All because we didn't _like_ school!"

"Relax, Dom. I'm not going to screw up my future. I'll figure something out."

"Figure something out," I repeated slowly. "Like what? Living in a cardboard box in downtown London? Have fun with that."

"Dom," he said. "Seriously. Stop worrying about me."

I snorted, shaking my head. "You're my little brother. Of course I'm going to worry about you."

"I'm Vic's little brother too," he said, "but I bet she doesn't worry about me."

I paused, considering this. "You don't know that," I finally said.

He just looked at me, an incredulous expression on his face.

"You don't!" I insisted.

"Yeah, okay," he replied, obviously not believing a word I was saying.

Of course, I didn't believe a word I was saying either. I'd always thought that it was obvious that Vic really just didn't give a shit about us. So wrapped up in her own world. No time for her two younger siblings.

The bell rang, singling the start of class, but I ignored it. This was more important. Louis's entire future was at stake.

"Okay, so you don't like school," I said, "but that doesn't explain why you've stopped hanging out with all your friends."

He shrugged, glancing down at his watch once again. I almost had the urge to laugh. Not because there was anything remotely funny about the situation, but because at that moment he looked so much like Vic. It was the expression on his face. Pure boredom. The look she always gave me when she had to talk to me. The look that clearly said: Talking to you is the biggest waste of my time that I can imagine. I would literally rather be doing _anything_ else in the world.

"We just grew apart," he said nonchalantly. "It happens all the time."

I sighed. What kind of answer was that? Was he being purposefully vague? "You're killing me, kid. You know that?"

He looked up at me. "Dom—"

"Just explain to me," I said, cutting him off, "why you're doing this to _me_? Maybe Vic isn't worrying about you. Maybe Mum and Dad aren't even worrying about you. But I am. And you're scaring me. But you don't even seem to care." My voice broke and I felt the tears begin to leak from my eyes.

He shook his head. "Dom," he said, "of course I care. I'd never want to hurt you. You know you're my favorite person in the world."

Was I? He sure wasn't acting like it. I mean, seriously, he'd just given me the "Vic Look". That was not the look you were supposed to give your favorite person in the world. Because, Merlin knows, I am not Vic's favorite person. I'm probably not even in her top ten.

I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "Then why can't you start caring about school again? Can't you do that for me?"

"We'll see," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, a small grin tugging at his lips.

I sighed. That was probably the best response I was going to get out of him. "Come here," I said, spreading my arms wide.

He took a few steps forward, wrapping his arms around me.

"You're getting tall, kid," I said. "You're going to be taller than me soon."

He pulled back. "I should get to class. That's what you want isn't it?"

"Yeah," I replied. "And while you're there, you could even try doing the assignment."

"Don't push your luck," he said, turning around.

I watched as he walked away. "Hey, Louis!" I called after him.

He turned. "What?"

"I love you."

"Shh, Dom," he said, chuckling. "Someone will hear you."

"I hope someone does," I replied. "I'm your big sister. It's my job to embarrass you."

He smiled. "I love you too." Then he was gone, disappeared around a corner.

I stood there for a minute. Maybe I should follow him. How did I know he was actually going to go to class?

Sighing, I started walking toward the dungeons. Hopefully, Slughorn wouldn't give me a detention for being late. I could always pull the "feminine issues" card. Male teachers always let you off for that one.

That evening, Liz, Xavier, and I were sitting on the floor of the common room, working on our project.

Well, I was working.

Liz was busy hanging on to every word Xavier was telling her about muggle computers.

Which, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with our project.

"That's so interesting," she breathed, looking up at him with amazement. "You're so lucky your parents are muggles. It's like you get the best of both worlds."

I cleared my throat loudly. Neither of them paid me the slightest bit of attention. I began widely coughing. Still nothing. He just continued going on and on about something called Twitter. Whatever that was. I'd have to ask Dylan.

"Hey!" I finally shouted.

They both looked up.

"We have a project to do. Remember?"

"Oops," said Liz, giggling. "Sorry. Got a little distracted."

I snorted. _A little_? Was she serious?

The next morning, Liz was nowhere to be found. Her bed was empty when I woke up. She wasn't in the bathroom or the common room. I headed down to the Great Hall to see if she was already eating breakfast, but there was no sign of her.

I grabbed a piece of toast and headed back to the common room. Maybe we'd somehow missed each other.

I answered the riddle asked by the eagle knocker.

"At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

"The stars," I replied and entered the room.

Immediately, though, I regretted doing so. Because the sight that greeted me was one that I definitely could have done without.

Liz and Xavier were tangled together on a couch, snogging like their lives depended on it.

"Agh!" I shrieked.

Immediately, they pulled away from each other and sat up. Liz smoothed down her skirt and fixed her hair, her face turning red.

Xavier rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Hey, Dom," he said. "Fancy seeing you here."

I opened mouth and closed it again, unable to think of anything to say.

"You're a liar," I finally said, looking at Liz. "Did you know that?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking confused.

"Last Friday, you were adamant about the fact that you didn't like Xavier. And on Tuesday I walk in on this? Is this what you do with guys you don't like?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. I'm a liar."

Xavier clapped his hands together. "Okay, well, now that that's settled, I'm going to go get breakfast!" He stood up and turned to Liz. "You coming?"

She shook her head. "No, I need to talk to Dom."

"Alright, suit yourself," he said. And then he was gone.

I sat down next to Liz. She didn't look at me. She just stared down at her shoes.

"So," I said, trying to break the silence, "what's Xavier's zodiac sign?"

She snorted. "Capricorn."

"Er, so are the two of you… are you compatible?" Just asking the question made me feel like an idiot. Compatible? Was I serious?

She nodded. "Yes, Capricorns and Scorpios are very compatible."

I nodded. "That's, er… that's good."

"Yup," she replied. She turned to look at me. "Are you jealous?"

"What?" I asked. "Jealous? Of you and Xavier?"

"Well, he was your first kiss," she said.

"Liz," I said, shaking my head. "Liz. Liz. Liz. Do you not know me at all? When have I ever expressed anything but pure disdain for that kiss?"

"I know. I'm being ridiculous," she said. "I just feel kind of guilty."

"Don't," I told her. "You have absolutely no reason to feel guilty."

She smiled. "Good."

* * *

><p><em>I never asked you guys what you thought of the photos I posted of the characters. Let me know if you liked them in your review :)<em>


	14. Chapter 14

The months passed by. Each one more hectic than the next as O.W.L.s drew nearer and nearer.

I stumbled into the Great Hall one Monday morning in early April, exhausted from the endless piles of homework I had been completing for various sadistic teachers the night before. Liz and Xavier were already at the Ravenclaw table when I got there, and I slumped into a seat beside them.

"Late night?" asked Liz.

"What gave it away?" I asked, pouring myself a glass of pumpkin juice. "The vacant expression on my face? The bags under my eyes? The mark on my cheek that I got from falling asleep on my Potions textbook?"

"I'll take that as a yes," said Liz.

Xavier's head was buried in the _Daily Prophet._ The date in the corner caught my eye. April 2.

"April 2," I murmured under my breath.

Why did that sound important?

Liz looked up. "Did you say something?"

I shook my head. "No, just talking to myself."

_April 2. April 2. April 2. _This was going to drive me crazy.

Five minutes later, it finally hit me.

"Jackie's birthday!" I exclaimed.

Liz's eyebrows shot up. "Pardon?"

"It's Jackie's birthday today," I told her.

Xavier looked up. "Wait, it's your niece's first birthday and you're just now remembering?"

I glared at him. "I've been a bit busy, Xavier. In case you haven't noticed, O.W.L.s are coming up. So remembering my niece's birthday hasn't exactly been one of my top priorities right now. Besides, it's not like Vic ever writes to me or anything. So nobody's actually reminded me! The last time I heard her birthday mentioned was on the actual day of her birth. And that was a year ago! "

He held up in his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

Liz took a bite of her toast. "So what are you going to do?"

"Do?"

"Well, shouldn't you send something? A gift? Or a card, at least?"

"I wonder if Louis remembered," I said, looking down the table. I immediately spotted him, sitting by himself.

"Louis!" I called, waving him over. "Come here."

He wandered over, hands jammed in his pockets, hair falling in his face. "Is this about my grades again?" was the first thing out of his mouth.

Louis's grades (and attendance record) hadn't exactly improved over the last few months. I'd tried multiple different approaches while talking to him. I'd been sympathetic. I'd been mean. I'd tried blackmail. I'd tried bribery. But nothing seemed to be working. I couldn't get through to him.

"No," I said. "It's actually about Jackie. Did you remember that today was her birthday?"

Louis's eyes widened. "Crap!"

"How did we both forget?" I asked frantically. "We have to send her something, but I don't have anything. I can't exactly send a one-year-old a box of chocolate frogs, can I?"

"I think that might be frowned upon," replied Louis.

"You're both screwed," said Xavier.

"Shut up!" we both snapped simultaneously.

"I guess we're just going to have to send cards," I sighed.

"Vic's totally going to notice if they don't arrive today," said Louis. "She'll be pissed we forgot."

I rolled my eyes. "Di d she send you anything on your birthday?"

He shook his head.

_Surprise. Surprise. _

"So her getting angry about this would be a bit hypocritical, don't you think?" I asked.

Louis chuckled. "Of course it would be. But do you really think that's going to stop her?"

I sighed. "No, probably not."

I stared down at my barely touched breakfast. Leaving it to go make a card didn't sound particularly appealing. I looked back up at Louis. "Wanna make my card for me?"

He folded his arms. "Will you promise to not bring up my grades for the rest of the year?"

"Deal," I said. "Just don't put too many words on it. She might notice it's not my handwriting."

Even though I would have much rather stayed at Hogwarts for the Easter holiday to study, Mum insisted that Louis and I come home to celebrate with the family. So two weeks later, I found myself on the Hogwarts Express heading to King's Cross.

When we arrived at the station, Louis and I stood there amidst the crowd, looking around for someone familiar to take us home.

Five minutes passed. "Er, where's Dad?" asked Louis.

Ten minutes passed. "I'm hungry," I said.

Fifteen minutes passed. "Did they forget about us?" murmured Louis.

Finally, twenty minutes later, Dad came hurrying through the crowd. "Sorry, I'm late," he said. "Completely slipped my mind…"

He never forgot to come pick us up back when Vic had been with us.

Just saying.

At home, I was greeted by a sight that I was not expecting.

Teddy and Vic. Sitting on the couch. Very, very close together. Basically snuggling, really.

"Where's Colin?" I asked.

Vic froze. "Are you trying to be funny?" she snarled.

What? Did I miss something? I looked over at Louis for help. But he looked just as clueless as I felt.

My mum walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Vic's expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Dom just asked where Colin was!" shrieked Vic. "Could you ask her what the hell is wrong with her?"

Mum whirled around to face me, hands on her hips. "Dominique Weasley, why would you ask something like zat? Are you trying to make 'er feel worse? After the terrible week she's been 'aving?"

I just stood there, unable to think of a response. What was going on?

Luckily, Louis spoke up, pretty much voicing my thoughts. "What the _hell_ are both of you on about?"

They both turned to face him. Teddy continued sitting there silently, looking like he wanted to disappear.

"What?" asked Mum.

"Why are you both freaking out on Dom? She asked a perfectly reasonable question! Where's Colin? Why is Vic pretty much sitting in Teddy's lap?"

"You mean you don't know?" asked Mum, looking confused.

"Know what?" he shouted. "What is that we are supposed to know?"

"Colin left," she said simply, looking grave.

"For good?" I asked.

She nodded. My gaze drifted to Vic. She was squeezing Teddy's hand, her face pale.

"When?"

"A week ago," said Mum.

"A week ago?" I repeated. "So why did nobody think to inform me or Louis?"

"I thought Vic would 'ave written to you," said Mum.

"I thought Mum would have written," replied Vic. "You know, because I kind of had other things on my mind."

Like immediately jumping into bed with Teddy_, _I thought, staring at the two of them all cozy on the couch.

"This is ridiculous!" I shouted. "Something this big happened and nobody thought to tell Louis or me? Are we not part of this family?"

"Erm, I'm going to go," murmured Teddy. "I just remembered that I have somewhere to be…"

He got up and hurried out of the room. A second later the front door opened and then closed again.

"Dom," said my mum. "Just stop, okay?" She looked tired. There were bags under her eyes. For the first time ever, she seemed to be showing her age.

I closed my mouth. "Sorry," I mumbled, wondering when our family had become so screwed up. Vic had a kid. Louis was on the fast track to nowhere. Vic and I were on the verge of never speaking to each other again. Our entire family seemed unable to communicate. I honestly didn't know the last time I'd had a civil conversation with any of them but Louis, and even the two of us argued all the time.

On Easter, we all headed to the Burrow as usual.

I sat in the living room, watching everyone interact.

Albus and James laughing together.

Rose fixing Hugo's shirt collar for him.

Aunt Ginny healing Lily's scraped knee with a wave of her wand, then planting a kiss on it.

They all seemed so happy. Family members that actually got along. I tried to imagine Vic and me laughing together or Vic fixing Louis's collar or my mum even noticing that any of us had scraped a knee.

But I couldn't.

After dinner, I headed to the loo. I needed to pee. Of course, though, it was occupied. I stood outside the door for five minutes, waiting. Growing more and more impatient, I knocked on the door.

"Just a minute," a voice called from inside.

It was Vic.

I knocked harder. "Vic, I need to pee!"

"Just a minute!" she repeated, louder this time.

I heard a gagging noise. What the hell was she doing in there?

I turned the doorknob and the door swung open. Vic was kneeled on the floor, clutching the edge of the toilet seat, puking her guts out.

When she finished, she turned to look at me. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"What are _you_ doing in here? Do you have an eating disorder now too?"

That would really be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it?

"Of course not," she snapped. "I just don't feel good. I keep thinking about Colin."

"You seem pretty happy with Teddy," I said.

She shook her head. "I am, but that doesn't mean that I'm magically over Colin. I _loved_ him. He was the father of my child. Now Jackie's going to grow up without knowing her dad. I'm going to have to explain to her why he didn't love the two of us enough to stick around. How am I supposed to do that?"

I stood there, staring at her. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her nose was running. She was a wreck.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

There was a long pause.

"Could you leave?" I finally said. "I need to pee."

She stood up slowly. "Yeah, sure."

I watched as she left the room, closing the door behind her. For a minute I felt guilty. Maybe I should have said something else, tried to comfort her a bit.

But, I realized that I would have had no clue what to say to her.

I honestly didn't know how to talk to her anymore.

How sad.

* * *

><p><em>Just a few things: <em>

_Dylan will be in the next chapter._

_I added a picture of Louis on my profile._

_I wrote this chapter kind of quickly, so I'm not sure if it's any good._


	15. Chapter 15

One day, a few months later, in late June, I was wandering around in town. For the entire week I'd been out of school, absolutely nothing even remotely interesting had happened. I was bored out of my mind and I had no idea when Dylan would be coming.

I sighed, taking a bite of the ice cream I had just bought. It was an extremely hot day. The temperature was way above average. I felt a bit self-conscious about walking around in only a bikini top and shorts, but with the weather being the way it was, I pretty much didn't have a choice.

I finished my ice cream and looked around. Air-conditioning. I needed air-conditioning.

Pushing open the door to a small diner, I stepped inside. Immediately, a blast of cold air hit me. I sighed contentedly. Pulling out a couple muggle pounds from my pocket, I headed up to the counter to order a coke.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted a very familiar boy leaning up against the counter, talking to a waitress.

Dylan.

I watched as the waitress giggled loudly and leaned in closer, slipping him a piece of paper. Her phone number, I assumed. He took the paper and slid it into his pocket, before whispering something in her ear, causing her to giggle even louder.

For some reason this bothered me.

A lot.

Before I could stop myself, I had walked up behind him and covered his eyes with my hands. "Guess who."

"Dom?" he exclaimed, spinning around. "Hey!" he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in for a hug.

I watched the waitress's eyes narrow from her spot behind the counter.

"How are you?" he asked, pulling away and looking me up and down, his gaze lingering on my bikini top.

"Pretty good," I replied. "When did you get into town?"

"A couple of hours ago," he said. "I was about to come find you after I, um…" He trailed off.

"Finished flirting with your waitress," I finished for him.

He shrugged, looking sheepish.

Behind him, the waitress cleared her throat loudly.

Dylan turned around. "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked, tossing her hair over her shoulder and sending an icy glare in my direction. _If looks could kill…_

"Oh, yeah," he replied. "Uh, Abby, this is Dom. Dom, this is Abby."

"Dom?" she repeated, wrinkling her nose. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's short for Dominique," I told her.

"Oh," she replied, pursing her glossed lips.

I forced myself to smile at her, before turning to Dylan. "You coming?"

"Yeah," he said. "Bye, Abby. See you later."

She pouted. "You're leaving?"

"Yep," he replied. "I haven't seen Dom since last August. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"_Catching up_?" she repeated slowly.

He just nodded, not bothering to explain further. Swinging his arm over my shoulder, he led me toward the door.

"So," he said, squinting as we stepped out into the bright sunshine. "What's new?"

"Oh, same old, same old," I said, pushing his arm off of me. "My parents are still oblivious to the fact that our family is falling apart. Louis's still avoiding his friends. Vic's still a bed-hopping slut."

His eyebrows shot up. "Bed-hopping slut?"

"She was with Colin. Then she was with Teddy. Then she was with Colin. Now she's with Teddy again. I wouldn't be surprised if Colin came back and she went running back to him."

"Bed-hopping slut seems a bit harsh, though," he said. "She's only been with two guys."

I sighed and changed the subject. I didn't want to talk about Vic anymore.

Later that evening, Dylan and I were sitting on my porch. We were laughing about something, drinking lemonade and taking silly pictures of each other.

He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. "I have to go," he said.

"Meeting up with Abby?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Oh, I see how it is," I said teasingly. "You'd rather go hook up with her than hang out here with me."

"Or maybe," he said, "I'd rather hook up with you."

My heart stopped beating for a moment. There was a long pause as I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was kidding or not. Surely he was. He'd never said anything like that to me before. Never even implied that he thought of me as more than a friend. He had to be kidding. But why did he look so completely serious?

"Erm," I said awkwardly, standing up, "I… I just remembered that I, er… need to go do something. You go have fun with Abby. I'll see you tomorrow." I quickly hurried inside, slamming the door behind me.

The next day, neither Dylan nor I mentioned what had happened the night before. We just acted the way we normally did. He told me about him and Abby. He was apparently pretending that he had never said anything about wanting to hook up with me. And I pretended that I had never heard him say it. I still didn't know if he had been serious. And I also didn't know why the knowledge that he had shagged Abby bothered me so much. I'd never been jealous of his girlfriends before. What was happening?

"Want to go for a ride?" asked Dylan one day, a few weeks later.

We were down at the beach. I had just been complaining about how bored I was. Dylan had been suggesting things we could do to cure my boredom. I had shot them all down. Mostly because they were all illegal, dangerous, or just plain impossible.

"A ride?" I asked. That didn't sound too bad.

"Yeah, I can borrow my grandma's car and drive us somewhere."

"Is that safe? How good are you at driving on the left side of the road?"

"I do it all the time," he replied.

"Fine," I said. "But if we crash and I die, I'm going to come back to life so I can kill you."

"I feel like you threaten to kill me a lot," he said, as we started walking to his grandma's house. "Just an observation."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you're a violent person," he replied.

"Shut up!" I said, smacking his arm.

"See what I mean?" he replied, clutching his arm in mock pain.

I rolled my eyes, opening the passenger-side door to his grandma's car and sliding inside.

"Ready to go?" he asked, as he sat down, putting in his seat belt and adjusting his mirrors.

I looked at him suspiciously. "Where are we going?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. Let's see where the wind takes us." I watched as he started the engine and began backing out of the driveway.

"Erm, alright," I said slowly.

"It'll be fun," he said. "Spontaneity is a good thing."

"Not always," I replied. "Sometimes spontaneity kills you."

He shook his head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I'm _sensible_," I corrected him.

"Well whatever you are, you worry more than my grandma. And that's saying something because she's about to turn 75."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Which reminds me," he said, ignoring my childish response. "My grandma's birthday party is in a few weeks. It's probably going to be pretty boring. Lots of old people I don't know. So maybe you could stop by and make it a little more bearable?"

"Okay, sure" I said. "Sounds… fun."

We continued driving in silence. I reached out to turn on the radio. A song by the muggle band _The Beatles_ began playing. I laughed as Dylan started singing along. Loudly and off-key.

_Hey Jude, don't make it bad.  
>Take a sad song and make it better.<br>Remember to let her into your heart.  
>Then you can start to make it better.<em>

By the end of the song, I was singing along with him, having caught onto the words pretty easily.

_Na na na, na-na na na.  
>Na-na na na, hey Jude.<br>Na na na, na-na na na.  
>Na-na na na, hey Jude.<em>

Our heads were thrown backwards and we were screaming the words at the top of our lungs.

By the time the song ended, we both started laughing hysterically. The kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt. The kind that just keeps going on and on, long after you remember what you're even laughing about.

I took a few breaths, wiping a few stray tears out of my eyes. "We should start a band. We're amazing."

He chuckled, nodding in agreement. "My thoughts exactly."

We continued driving. Past fields filled with cows. Past run-down buildings. Past bright blue ocean. We drove for what seemed like hours. I didn't know where we were. And I didn't even care. Because the sky was blue. The sun was shining. Music was playing. And I was with Dylan. I leaned back in my seat and put my feet up on the dashboard, sighing contentedly.

"This is nice," I said.

Dylan just smiled and nodded.

I picked up his camera and snapped a picture of him. I stared at the image on the little screen. At his perfect profile and sharp jawline. His aviator sunglasses. The cigarette tucked behind his ear. His brooding expression. His flawless skin.

"You know," I said, looking up at him, "you could be a model."

He turned and looked at me, an amused expression on his face. "Are you saying I'm beautiful?"

"Yeah," I replied. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

He turned his gaze back to the road, still grinning. "Well, I prefer to be behind the camera. You know that."

"That's a shame."

He just shook his head, laughing.

My mind drifted to what he'd said a few weeks earlier.

_Maybe I'd rather hook up with you._

We still hadn't talked about it. I still didn't know if he had been serious or not. I thought about it nearly every day. Thought about asking him. But I never did.

"Hey, Dylan," I said, deciding that now would be a good time to bring it up.

"Mmm?" he murmured in reply, not taking his eyes off the road.

I started to ask him. The words formed in my mind. I opened my mouth… And I chickened out.

"How's Abby?" I asked instead, mentally kicking myself.

He shrugged. "Dunno. Haven't seen much of her lately."

For some reason, that cheered me up immensely.

* * *

><p><em>Please review!<em>


	16. Chapter 16

I stared into my closet blankly. It was the evening of Dylan's grandmother's birthday and I needed to find something to wear. What were you supposed to wear to an old muggle lady's birthday party? I pushed aside my dress robes. Definitely not those.

I finally settled on a purple blouse and a black skirt. Vic had gotten the skirt for me a couple years before on Christmas, but I had never worn it because I thought it was too short and too tight. But it was the only skirt I owned other than my Hogwarts uniform skirt, so I didn't have much of a choice.

I stood in front of the mirror, tugging self-consciously at the skirt. Dylan's grandmother was probably going to think I was a skank.

I ran my hand over my ponytail. Was a ponytail too casual for this party? Dylan had said it was kind of a fancy event. I pulled out the ponytail holder, watching my hair tumble down around my shoulders. I couldn't remember the last time I'd worn my hair down.

I heard someone knock on the door. Grabbing my shoes, I hurried downstairs. I opened the door, trying to balance on foot in order to slip on my flats.

Dylan stood in the doorway, an amused expression on his face as I tried to steady myself. "Ready to go?" he asked.

I straightened up. "Yep."

Instead of moving, he just stood there, staring at me.

"What?" I asked, nervously smoothing down my hair. "Do I look okay?"

"You look beautiful," he murmured.

I felt my face heating up. "Thanks," I stammered.

It was the first time someone who wasn't related to me had called me beautiful. Dylan had once called me, and I quote, "fucking gorgeous", but that wasn't really the same thing.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I added.

This might have been the understatement of the century. He looked gorgeous.

He grinned cockily. "I know."

"Merlin, Dylan. You're an arse, did you know that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Watch your language, Miss Weasley," he said, smirking at me.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Let's just go to this party."

"I expect it will be in full swing by the time we get there," said Dylan, as we began walking. "Drinking games. Dancing on tables. The whole nine yards."

"That sounds about right," I said, laughing.

When we arrived, Dylan pushed opened the door to his grandmother's house and we stepped inside. I had only ever been in there a couple of times. We didn't really spend too much time at each other's houses. We usually just hung out on the beach or in town.

There was already a large crowd of people milling about in the living room, holding glasses of wine and talking. Hardly anyone looked younger than 70.

I saw Dylan's mother standing across the room, talking to a lady I didn't recognize. She looked pretty old, so I assumed she was one of his grandmother's friends.

"Should we go say hello your mum?" I asked, nodding in her direction.

He grimaced. "We should, but she's talking to Mrs. Peterson."

"I take it that's a bad thing?"

He nodded. "She's a gossipy old cow."

"We should still go say hello," I said.

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Okay."

"Hey, Mom," said Dylan, as we approached the two of them.

"Hello, honey," she said, her English accent contrasting sharply with his American accent. She leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Mrs. Peterson. "You've turned into quite the handsome young man, haven't you?" Then she reached out and pinched his cheek. She actually pinched his cheek. I didn't think people did that once you got older than, say, two.

I stifled my laughter as I looked at the expression of intense dislike on Dylan's face.

She turned to me, peering at me over the top of her glasses. "And who's this lovely young lady? Your girlfriend?"

"No!" we both exclaimed at the same time.

"We're just friends," I added hastily.

"Oh, of course," she said, with a wink at Dylan. "Friends."

Dylan tried to smile, but failed horribly. '"Yeah, well, we better go find Grandma and wish her a happy birthday."

"Oh, sweetheart, I just remembered that your dad called earlier," his mother said. "He wanted to talk to you. He said he'd tried your cell, but you hadn't answered. I told him you weren't home, but I'd have you call him back."

Dylan sighed. "Mom, did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't answer my phone because I didn't want to talk to him?"

"He's your father, Dylan," she replied sternly. "You have to talk to him."

"You don't talk to him," he mumbled.

"We're divorced," she said. "He's not my husband anymore. But he's still your dad."

"Well, he doesn't act much like one, does he?" snapped Dylan.

I shifted uncomfortably. Mrs. Peterson looked on with a bit too much interest, probably memorizing their conversation to tell her busybody friends.

"I haven't fucking seen him since Christmas!" he continued loudly. Several people turned and stared at us. I could hear them whispering amongst themselves.

His mum's eyes narrowed. "Do not use that language with me, Dylan!"

"Sorry," he murmured.

"You're going to call your father in the morning. End of discussion."

Dylan groaned loudly. "Mom…"

"End. Of. Discussion."

"Fine," he grumbled, grabbing my hand. "Come on, Dom," he said. "Let's go find my grandma."

I followed him as he weaved through the crowd, pulling me with him. He stepped through the doorway, into the kitchen, where his grandmother was ordering the caterers around.

"Are you incompetent?" she shrieked at one poor kid, who was holding a tray of shrimp, his hands shaking uncontrollably. "I hired you to do a job! I'm paying you good money to do that job! So do it!"

"Hey, Grandma," said Dylan.

She stopped yelling and turned around. "Oh, hello, darling," she said, smiling.

The server took that moment to escape out the door into the living room.

"Where have you been all day?" she asked.

"Just hanging around," he replied.

She nodded. "Your father called."

"I know. Mom wants me to call him back."

She shook her head. "Don't."

It sounded to me like she wasn't too fond of her former son-in-law.

He grinned. "I wasn't going to."

I cleared my throat. Dylan looked over at me. "You remember Dom, right?" he asked her.

She looked me up and down, her lips pursed tightly together. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I think her gaze lingered on the hem of my skirt. I could practically feel the disapproval shooting out of her eyes. I tugged at my skirt. Why did it have to so short?

"Yes," she said stiffly. "I remember."

"It's nice to see you again," I said politely.

She gave me a quick close-mouthed smile before turning back to Dylan. "Well, you go enjoy the party, darling. Try to avoid Mrs. Peterson."

"We already ran into her," he said.

She sighed. "That woman is a pain in the arse. I've known her for 70 years and I swear she gets more annoying every day."

There was a loud crash behind us, as one of the caterers dropped a pan.

Dylan's grandma froze. I braced myself for the yelling to begin.

"I'll see you later, darling," she said to Dylan, as she turned around slowly.

I bet that a few minutes later, whoever dropped that pan was in tears. I know I would be.

Over the next hour, Dylan and I made the rounds at the party. I lost track of how many old women cooed over how cute we were together, how handsome Dylan was, and how adorable his American accent was.

Everyone had nice things to say about us. That was until we got to one old man, who, according to Dylan, lived across the street.

"I heard the way you were talking to your mother earlier, boy," he said gruffly. "You shouldn't disrespect her like that."

Dylan looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, sir," he stammered. "I don't usually speak to her like that, I swear. I was mad at the situation, not her."

"My mum's been dead for forty years," he said. "And to this day, I wish I'd been nicer to her, treated her with more respect. She was a great woman, my mum. But I didn't realize until it was too late. So just remember, boy, your mum's not always going to be around. Make sure you appreciate her now."

"I do appreciate her, sir," said Dylan. "I love my mom."

This was true. Dylan was actually a bit of a mama's boy. He'd give her a hug and tell her that he loved her in a public, never looking the slightest bit embarrassed. He told her everything. Even the things that most kids would rather kill themselves before telling their parents about.

"Come on," said Dylan, after the conversation had ended. "Let's get out of here."

"And go where?" I asked.

He considered this for a moment. Then he grabbed my hand. "There's something I want to show you."

He led me into the kitchen. I looked around, but his grandmother was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she had decided to actually go enjoy her own party. Dylan opened a door and we began to walk down a flight of dark stairs.

"You want to show me your basement?" I asked, squinting into the darkness, hoping that I didn't fall on my face. Being of age would have been handy at that moment. _Lumos_ could have made a world of difference. Unfortunately, I was still sixteen and my wand was at home on the table beside my bed, where it had been lying, neglected, for most of the summer.

"Yep," he replied when we reached the bottom. He flipped a light switch and a single bulb hanging from the ceiling lit up, the whole room immediately bathed in a small amount of light. "But it's also a darkroom."

I looked around. All over the room, there were black and white photos hanging from clothespins.

I took a few steps closer to one of a sunset. It had obviously been taken down at the beach. The water was pitch black and the sun reflected off of it in white ripples that stretched across the photo.

"These are amazing," I said. "Did you take them all?"

"Yeah," he replied. "This darkroom used to be my grandpa's. He was an amateur photographer. After he died, this place was just sitting here unused. But, then I got interested in photography and I started using it.

"They're brilliant," I said. "_You're_ brilliant."

I wasn't exaggerating either. None of the photos moved. The people didn't wave or disappear from sight. But, I kind of preferred it that way. There was just something about it. Knowing that an image— a memory—was preserved forever, just the way it had been at the moment it was taken. Someone a hundred years from now could look back and see exactly what we saw. Maybe there was something to be said for muggle photography after all.

A photo of a girl caught my attention. I took a step closer to get a better look and I realized that it was me. It was from the day we'd gone for the drive. My hair was blowing in my face as I grinned up at the camera, my hand shielding my eyes from the sun.

I looked around the room again, realizing that a lot of the pictures were of me.

There was one of me sitting on the beach, my head thrown back, laughing at something Dylan had said.

There was one of me sitting at a table in town, ice cream cone in hand, my tongue sticking out.

There was one of me standing at the edge of the ocean, the water lapping at my toes. I had a serious expression on my face as I stared out across it, hands on my hips.

"I'm in a lot of these," I murmured.

"You're very photogenic," he replied, his voice low.

There was a pause.

"Dylan?"

"Mmm?"

"I know that your mum was born here and moved to America when she married your dad. But what's the full story? You've never told me.

"There's not much to tell. Mom met him one summer when he was here on vacation. They had a summer fling. She ended up pregnant with my older brother. She followed him back to America and they got married. Which in my opinion, was the stupidest thing she's ever done. She was only 18. She was 18 and she gave up her entire life for that asshole."

"Well, it's a good thing she did," I said. "Or else you wouldn't exist."

"I was born 10 years later," he continued. "And when I got a little older, my dad started trying to live vicariously through me. He was an amazing baseball player. He could have played for the major leagues. But when he knocked my mom up, he had to give up his dream and get a desk job. My two older brothers weren't that athletic, but when he realized that I was, he just kept pushing me and pushing me. He went to all my games. He even got kicked out of some for getting into screaming matches with the umpire. After he and Mom got divorced, baseball was the only reason he stayed in my life. When I gave it up a couple years ago, he gave up on me. I hardly ever see him."

"Why'd your parents get divorced?" I asked. "You've never told me."

"They'd always fight. He'd blame her for how his life turned out. Say it was her fault that he didn't get to live out his dreams. But they didn't get a divorce until she found out that he'd been having an affair with his secretary," said Dylan, with a harsh laugh. "_His secretary. _How freaking clichéd is that? They got married last year. I didn't want to go to the wedding, but I was forced into it."

"So I take it you don't like your stepmum?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She's 25. She looks like a stripper. She tried to have sex with me!"

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

"I had to spend Christmas with them. And one night she was drunk, just like she always is. And she tried to get me to have sex with her. My _stepmom_ tried to have sex with me."

"That's messed up."

"I hate her. And I _really_ hate him," said Dylan angrily.

"You shouldn't hate you dad, Dylan," I said. "You shouldn't hate family."

"Don't you ever hate any of your family?" he asked. "I mean, I know you love your parents and Louis, but what about Vic?"

"I don't hate Vic. I love her. I may not _like _her, but I love her."

"Is that possible?"

"I think so. She annoys the hell out of. I try to avoid her as much as possible. But when it comes down to it, she's my sister and I love her."

He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair out of my face. "You're amazing, did you know that?"

We were silent for a moment. The words he'd said earlier in the summer came floating back.

_Maybe I'd rather hook up with you._

"Hey, Dylan?" I murmured.

"Yeah?"

"You know when I was teasing you about Abby, and you said that you'd rather hook up with me?"

He nodded, his eyes boring into mine.

I took a deep breath. "Did you mean it?"

He took a step closer to me. "What do you think?"

"I… I don't know," I stammered.

Another step closer. He was so close. "Just take a wild guess," he whispered.

"Yes?" I mumbled, praying that it was the right answer.

Instead of replying, he took a final step toward me. My breath hitched in anticipation as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

* * *

><p><em>Longest chapter in the story so far! And they finally kissed!<em>


	17. Chapter 17

Was this really happening? Was Dylan really kissing me? Was I really kissing him back? Was I a good kisser? Did I even want this to be happening? What was going to happen when he left in a week to go back to America?

These were just a few of the thousand different thoughts rushed through my head as we continued snogging.

The only thing I could be sure about at that moment was that Dylan was a_ very_ good kisser.

A very, very good kisser.

I tried not to think about how many other girls he'd snogged in order to perfect his technique. They didn't matter. Because right now he was snogging me.

He placed one of his hands in the small of my back, pulling me closer.

He was snogging _me_.

After a few moments, he pulled away. We both stood there, staring at each other. I tried to think of something to say. Anything. But my mind had gone completely blank.

"Was that… was that okay with you?" Dylan finally asked, looking nervous.

"What?" I mumbled, feeling slightly dazed.

"Was it okay that I kissed you? You're not going to, like, pull out your wand and hex me are you?"

"No, of course not," I replied. "I'm going to Avada you."

"Avada me?" he whispered.

"_Avada Kedavra_. The killing curse," I said, trying not to laugh.

"The_ killing_ curse?" he repeated, tugging his hands through his hair.

"Dylan," I said, giggling, "I'm kidding. Besides, I'm still underage, so I couldn't use magic on you even if I wanted to."

"Right, right," he said. "I knew that. I knew that."

"I could be expelled," I continued. "Like my Uncle Harry almost was for using the Patronus charm in his muggle neighborhood. Of course that wasn't really his fault, since there were Dementors. It was self-defense. And before that there was the hover charm, but that was actually a house-elf. And then there was the time he inflated his aunt Marge and she floated away, but that was just an accident."

I was rambling now. But, in my defense, Dylan had just kissed me. I was still having trouble thinking straight.

Dylan just stared at me. "A house-elf?"

He walked me home. Neither of us said a word the entire time. I began worrying. What if we'd completely ruined our friendship forever? What if I'd been a terrible kisser and he was completely disgusted right now?

By the time we reached Shell Cottage, my palms were sweating and my mouth had gone completely dry.

"So," said Dylan, as we stood on the steps in front of the door. "I'll, um, see you later?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We should hang out tomorrow."

He smiled. "Great!"

I smiled back. Now what?

Luckily for me, Dylan seemed to already know the answer to that question. He leaned in, kissing me on the cheek. "Bye, Dom."

"Bye, Dylan," I replied, watching as he disappeared into the night.

Sighing, I turned and walked inside, a million different things running through my head. There was only one way to sort out my thoughts. I needed to make a list.

I wandered into the living room. Vic was sitting in a chair, reading. She didn't look up.

"Hey, Vic," I said, sitting down on the couch.

"Hey" she murmured.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, picking up a notebook from the stack of books on the coffee table.

"Mum and Dad went out to dinner. Louis's in his room. Jackie's asleep."

"Ah," I said, flipping to a clean page. "I see."

She didn't reply.

I titled the paper "Relationship with Dylan". Then I labeled one side of the paper "Pro" and the other side "Con" and drew a line down the middle.

In the Pro column, I wrote: _I like him. _In the Con column, I wrote: _He lives far away._

I stared down at the paper. One thing in each column. That wasn't any help. For the first time ever, my lists were failing me. I needed advice.

Unfortunately, Vic was the only person around. I supposed she would have to do.

"Hey, Vic," I called across the room.

She sighed heavily. "What?"

"What do you think about Dylan?" I asked.

"I don't," she said, not looking up.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I _don't_ think about Dylan."

"Yeah, I know that," I said, rolling my eyes. "But you must have some sort of opinion of him."

She slammed her book shut and glared at me. "Okay, seriously, Dom," she snapped, "I have enough on my mind right now! If you'll recall, the father of my child recently left me! I don't have time to give you advice about your little boyfriend, alright?"

"Are you serious?" I snarled, my list immediately forgotten. "Do you really expect me to believe that you're still upset about Colin leaving you? After the way you jumped on Teddy literally hours later? You're such a stupid ho, did you know that? The way you skip back and forth between those two is ridiculous!"

The look on Vic's face should have terrified me, but for some reason it just made me want to yell more. It was like all the anger I felt toward her, the anger that had been building up inside of me for years, was pouring out of me and I couldn't stop it.

"I mean, could you be more of a selfish bitch? Do you ever think about anybody except yourself? _Ever?_ I'm sorry my life seems so trivial to you, but that doesn't mean you have the right to be so dismissive of it. You could at least pretend you care about my boy problems. Or about the fact that Louis is failing all his classes and has no friends. Or did you even know about that? When was the last time you cared about what happened in his life? Or in Mum or Dad's? Or in anybody's except yours?"

Vic's face was bright red. Instead of yelling back at me, she set her book aside and stood up. Then she calmly walked across the room. And slapped me across the face.

I was still for a moment. And then I lunged at her. At that moment, it was like we were no longer 16 and 19, but six and nine, and fighting over something stupid like whose turn it was to do the dishes. We crashed into the floor, hitting and scratching and pulling hair.

"What the hell is going on here?" a voice boomed.

I quickly dropped the chunk of Vic's hair that had been in my grip. Vic removed her nails that had been dug into my arm. We both looked up at our dad sheepishly. He was glaring down at us, arms crossed.

"I expected more from the two of you," he said. "Vic, you're an adult and a _mother._ And Dom, you're almost an adult as well. You can't be acting like children!"

"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to dodge around him to get to the door.

"Dom!" Vic snapped. "I need to say something to you."

I turned around slowly.

Dad shot her a warning look, but she ignored him.

"You can call me a stupid ho," she said. "You can call me a bitch. I've heard it all before. But don't you _dare _call me selfish!" she snarled, her blue eyes flashing.

Dad put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"You have no idea what it's like to be a mother," she continued. "How it feels to have someone who's entirely dependent on you. You can never be selfish again because there is someone you have to base all your decisions around. It's not about you anymore. It's just about your child. All you care about is their happiness. You lie awake at night for hours worrying about them, wondering if you're doing enough. "Her voice cracked. "So don't ever call me selfish again. Because you have no idea!"

She ducked her head and pushed past me. I heard her sob loudly as the hurried up the stairs. A moment later, her bedroom door slammed shut.

I turned and looked at my dad. He was staring at me.

"She started it," I murmured, pushing past him and heading upstairs.

As I passed by Louis's room, the door opened and he poked his head out. "What was all that yelling about?" he asked.

"Vic and I got in a fight," I replied.

He opened the door a little wider. "About what?"

I shrugged. "Erm, pretty much just everything."

"Ah," he said.

There was pause.

"Dylan kissed me," I finally said to break the silence.

His eyebrows shot up. "Did you kiss him back?"

I nodded.

He grinned. "That's excellent."

"You think?"

"Well, yeah," he said. "I mean, it's about time, isn't it?"

I laughed. "I guess so." I held out my arms. "Come here, kid. Give me a hug."

He rolled his eyes, but he hugged anyway.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked suddenly.

He lurched back. "A… a girlfriend?" he stammered.

"Yeah, you're a good-looking kid. You could use a haircut, but other than that…"

"Well," he said, "I mean… I don't exactly have any friends, so why would I have a girlfriend?"

"Well, maybe you should try making some friends," I said. "You used to have a lot of them."

He rolled his eyes. "Can we not start on this again? I've told you a million times that I _like_ being a loner."

I smiled sadly. "Yeah, okay. I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

He nodded. "Goodnight."

The next morning, Vic and Jackie were gone. She left a note saying that she had gone to stay at Teddy's for a few days to "cool off". Which I was pretty sure was code for "ignore Dom".

One afternoon, after she'd been gone for three days, Teddy showed up.

"Hey," I said, looking up from my spot on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"Vic wanted me to pick up a few things for her," he said.

"How much longer is she going to be gone?" I asked.

"Er, I don't know. Indefinitely, I suppose."

"So, basically she's moving in with you?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

I nodded. That wasn't much of a surprise.

He continued standing there.

I set my book aside. "Er, are you going to go get her stuff or what?"

"Yeah, in a minute," he said. "But I actually wanted to talk to you first."

"Right," I said. "I should have known that you'd want to scold me for the things I said to her."

"I don't want to scold you for anything," he replied.

"So, you're not here to talk about the fight Vic and I had?" I asked, confused.

"No, I am," he replied. "But, I'm not going to scold you because I'm not taking sides."

"You're not?"

"Nope," he said. "Because I think that you're both being idiots."

"Wow, thanks."

He ignored me. "Now, I don't know why the two of you can't get along—"

"You and me both," I interrupted.

He paused, distracted. "You don't?"

I shrugged. "We just never have. Sometimes I think the reason can be traced back to me ruining her favorite pink dress when I was, like, three." I laughed. "I don't think she's ever quite forgiven me for that one."

He looked slightly confused. But he was a guy; I wouldn't expect him to understand.

"You two don't know how lucky you are, did you know that?" he murmured. "My parents died before they could have any more kids. When I was younger, I used to be so jealous of you and all your cousins. All of you have at least one sibling. But, you all just take it for granted. _Especially_ you and Vic."

"Teddy…"

He shook his head. "Just listen, okay?"

"I used to get angry at my mum for dying. Because she didn't have to. She followed my dad to Hogwarts to fight with him. And I hated her for it. I didn't understand why she couldn't have just stayed with me. I thought that if she had, then she could've eventually gotten remarried and given me some siblings."

Tears began to well up in my eyes.

"I hated being an only child. Hated it. And it _kills_ me that the two of you don't appreciate the fact that you have each other."

I stared down at my shoes. "You're gonna marry her someday, right?"

"What?" he asked.

"You're going to marry Vic, right?"

He nodded. "I hope so."

"Well, when you do, then you won't be an only child anymore. Lou will be your brother and I'll be your sister."

He smiled at me. "Yeah, that's true. I never thought of that before." He paused. "So, will you apologize to Vic?"

"I'll think about it."

He sighed. "Okay, I guess that's better than nothing."

He turned to leave.

"Bye, _brother_," I called after him.

He turned around. "Bye, _sister_," he replied, grinning.

* * *

><p><em>This was kind of an intense chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review!<em>


	18. Chapter 18

I sat the edge of the water, staring out at the horizon. I'd lived by the ocean my entire life. Usually I just took it for granted. But there were some days when I realized just how beautiful it was. Those were the days where I could sit for hours. Looking. Listening. Thinking.

I heard a little girl shriek somewhere off in the distance. A dog let out a bark. A group of teenagers walked by, laughing loudly. But I barely noticed. Too caught up in my own thoughts to be bothered by any of it.

A shadow fell over me and I looked up. Dylan was standing right behind me. "Hey," I said, smiling.

He sat down beside me. "Mind if I join you?"

I shook my head. "Go ahead."

Tomorrow Dylan would be leaving for America. In two days I would be leaving for school. It had been a week since we'd kissed, but so far there had been no repeat.

We sat in silence for a while. I watched the waves rolling in and out, the seagulls flying overhead, the puffy white clouds drifting lazily in the sky. A feeling of tranquility washed over me.

"What are you thinking about?" Dylan finally asked.

"Oh, I don't know," I said, tilting my face up to the sky, letting the warmth of the sun wash over me. "Everything… nothing."

He nodded, as if this somehow made sense. Maybe it did. "Have you talked to Vic since your fight?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

He was quiet. I turned my head to look at him. He was staring at me. Or at least, I think he was. His sunglasses made it hard to be sure. "What?" I asked.

"You should talk to her," he said.

I turned my head back toward the ocean. "You should call your dad."

He snorted. "Touché."

We both stared out at the water.

"So," I said, attempting to break the silence. "This is it. Our last day together."

"Yep," he murmured.

"Are you going to miss me?" I asked.

When he didn't reply, I turn to look at him. He was staring at me again, in that unnerving way of his. I could see my reflection in his sunglasses. I wished I could see his eyes. His beautiful, brown eyes…

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"What?" I asked, confused. I'd completely forgotten what we were talking about, all distracted by the thought of his eyes.

"Of course I'm going to miss you," he said.

Oh yeah. That's what we had been talking about.

"I kissed you," he continued. "Do you really think I go around kissing just anyone?"

I looked at him strangely. "Er, _yes_."

He cocked his head to the side, as if considering this. "Okay, point taken," he finally said. "But you're different."

My heart sped up. "Really?" I asked.

"Do you really think I spend this much time with any other girl?" he asked, smirking.

"I doubt it," I replied. "I know how you treat girls. You use them and then you leave them."

"Jesus, Dom. You're being rather blunt today, aren't you?"

I smiled.

He chuckled. "My mom would kill me if she was here. She hates when I take God's name in vain."

"Do you believe in God?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Don't you?"

I shrugged. "The Wizarding world isn't particularly religious. I wasn't really raised to believe in Him."

"Hmm," he murmured in response.

"But," I continued, "sometimes I look out at the ocean and I think that_ something_ must have created it. All the wonders of the world can't just be accidents, can they? I guess I believe there must be some sort of higher power out there. There's too much beauty in the world for it all to be a fluke."

"Wow, Dom. That was deep."

I glanced over at him, trying to see if he was being sarcastic. He looked completely serious though.

"What about Heaven?" he asked. "Do you believe in Heaven?"

"I think that there must be some sort of afterlife. Somewhere that the dead go." I remembered something that my uncle Harry had once told me. "Beyond the veil, perhaps…"

"The veil?" he asked. "Is this another Wizarding reference that I don't get?"

I nodded. "Yes, yes it is."

He laughed.

"Of course," I continued, "not everyone makes it to the afterlife. That's why ghosts exist."

He frowned. "You believe in ghosts?"

"Well, it would be hard not to," I said, "with a bunch them floating around Hogwarts."

His mouth dropped open. "There are ghosts at Hogwarts?"

I nodded. "There's the Grey Lady. She's Ravenclaw's ghost. And the Fat Friar is Hufflepuff's. Gryfinndor has Nearly Headless Nick. And Slytherin's ghost is the Bloody Baron." I shivered slightly, thinking about him. "I wouldn't go near the Bloody Baron if you paid me, though. So creepy."

"Did you say 'nearly headless'? How can someone be nearly headless?"

"Dull axe," I replied simply.

His eyes widened. "Isn't that creepy though, having ghosts around? Aren't you afraid of them?"

I shook my head. "No, only the Bloody Baron. The Grey Lady doesn't talk much. The Fat Friar is lovely, very friendly. And I've had several interesting conversations with Nick."

"You talk to them?" His eyes, if possible, had gotten even wider.

"Well, it'd be rude to ignore them, wouldn't it?"

"I… I guess so."

"Oh, and I almost forgot about Professor Binns. He teaches History of Magic. He's completely dull though. I don't even think he's realized that he's dead."

"Just like Bruce Willis," murmured Dylan.

"What?"

He shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Muggle reference. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, right," I said. "But, getting back to our discussion about the afterlife, my uncle Harry told me that after his godfather died, he went to talk to Nearly Headless Nick. He wanted to know if Sirius Black—his godfather—could come back as a ghost. "

Dylan nodded. "That makes sense."

"Nick told him that only wizards can become ghosts, so Uncle Harry got his hopes up even more."

"Damn it," said Dylan. "that means I won't be able to come back as a ghost and haunt everyone who's ever annoyed me."

"Even if you could," I said, "you wouldn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're not a coward," I told him.

He stared at me questioningly.

"That's what Nick told Harry," I continued. "His godfather wouldn't come back because he was too brave. I guess becoming a ghost is what wizards who are afraid of death choose to do. They choose to live a pale imitation of their earthly life for all of eternity, instead of 'going on'. It's the coward's way out."

Dylan was silent for a minute. "That sounds awful," he finally said.

I nodded in agreement.

He sighed, staring up at the sky. "This whole conversation has almost been a little too deep. We need to do something _fun_ now."

"Like what?" I asked, leaning back in the sand.

He lay down next to me. "We could go to that club in town."

"Oh, yeah, cos we're totally 18," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I have a fake ID," he said.

"Well I don't, so that doesn't really help us, does it?"

"I had one made for you too."

I sat up quickly. "What?" I snapped.

He shrugged. "I figured you might need it someday."

I buried my face in my hands. "You're trying to corrupt me," I mumbled.

"Dom," he murmured, "it was just a suggestion. We don't have to. It's up to you. If you want to sit right here for the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing, then I'll sit here with you."

"Really?" I asked, lifting my head from my hands.

"Sure," he said, shrugging. "You can tell me more about the ghosts at Hogwarts."

I was quiet for a moment, thinking. "No," I finally said. "Let's go to the club."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, standing up. "Absolutely. You're always telling me I need to loosen up, so this is me loosening up."

"Dom—"

"Last summer you wanted us to do something wild and reckless the night before you left," I said, cutting him off, "but I was too scared. But this summer is different. You can't live your entire life too scared to actually live, can you?"

He stood up, glancing at his watch. "Okay, well why don't you go home and change. I'll pick you up in a couple hours."

"Crap," I said. "I don't have anything to wear to a club."

"Look in Vic's closet."

"Most of her clothes are at Teddy's," I replied.

"Well, it can't hurt to look, can it?"

Ten minutes later, I was standing in Vic's room, staring into her closet. It was nearly empty. Only the clothes she never wore were left.

Which included a dress.

A very skimpy dress.

A very skimpy dress with sparkles all over it.

_What the hell are you doing!_ The voice in my head was screaming at me as I pulled it off its hanger.

_You cannot put that thing on your body, _it said as I slipped it on.

I stood in front of the mirror on the back of Vic's door, staring. I almost didn't recognize myself. The dress was short. Much shorter than the skirt I'd been worried about a week before. If I bent over in it all, I was pretty sure nothing would be left to the imagination.

When I thought about it, I wasn't even sure why Vic owned such a dress. I couldn't imagine she would feel any more comfortable in it than I was feeling at the moment.

I stepped out into the hallway, extremely glad that I was the only one home. I couldn't imagine trying to explain this to my parents.

Except, as it turned out, I _wasn't_ the only one home.

I found myself face to face with Vic, whom I hadn't seen in a week. She was standing in the hallway, holding Jackie.

I froze.

"That's my dress," she said, staring at me.

I waited for the screaming to begin.

"It looks good on you," she added.

Wait, what?

Did she just compliment me?

"Er, thanks," I muttered.

"No, really," she said. "It looks much better on you than me. I'm too skinny. You've got the arse and boobs for it."

I had entered an alternate universe. That was the only explanation. There was no way that the Vic I knew would come back after a week of ignoring me, catch me in her room, wearing her dress, and then proceed to compliment me. There was just no way.

"Colin bought that dress for me," she said.

I looked at her, surprised. This had to be the first time since he left that she had willingly mentioned Colin without bursting into tears.

"I wore it to some club with him. It was horrible. I've never felt more self-conscious in my life."

I just nodded, not sure what to say.

"Do you need shoes?" she asked, nodding at my bare feet. "There are black heels in my closet."

"Oh," I said. "Erm, yeah I do. Thanks."

She smiled. It was a very small smile. It didn't exactly reach her eyes. But, it was a smile nonetheless. "No problem."

Then she turned and disappeared back down the stairs.

I stood there for a minute, in her stupid mini dress, slightly stunned. Had that really just happened? The last time we had spoken, I'd called her a stupid ho and a selfish bitch. We then proceeded to physically attack each other, after which she went off on me for calling her selfish.

And yet, she had showed up here, complimented me, and offered to let me borrow her shoes.

I was sure stranger things had happened.

But I couldn't actually think of any at the moment.

Two hours later, I was sitting the living room. I was still wearing the dress. On my feet were a pair of heels that I was sure were going to literally be the death of me. My hair had been straightened with some potion that Vic had in her room. My face was covered in makeup.

I felt completely ridiculous.

There was a knock on the door. I jumped and hurried to answer it.

Dylan's eyes widened as he stood in the doorway, taking me in. He was silent for a long time.

"I changed my mind," he finally said.

"About what?"I asked, confused.

"I don't want to go to that club anymore," he said.

"Why?" I asked, tugging at the stupid dress. Was it even covering my bum? It didn't feel like it.

"Because I do not want any other guys seeing you like this," he said. "There are a lot of douchebags in that place. And the thought of them checking you out or trying to dance with you or feeling you up…" He trailed off, shuddering.

I stared at him, waiting for him to finish.

"You're too young. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't want you in a place like that. With a bunch of older guys. You're too… you're too innocent."

"Innocent?" I repeated. It was true, but for some reason I felt slightly offended.

"And cute," he added.

_Cute? _Now I was definitely offended.

He took a step closer to me, sliding his arm around my waist and leaning in. "And you're mine," he whispered in my ear.

My heart stopped for a moment. _I definitely wasn't offended anymore_, I thought, closing my eyes and breathing him in.

"I spent a lot of time getting ready, though," I mumbled into his shoulder. "It seems like a waste not to go."

"We can go somewhere else," he replied.

"Where else can I go dressed like this?" I asked, pulling back and raising my eyebrows.

"Down to the beach," he said. "Nobody will be there at this hour."

I glanced down at the dress. "This isn't exactly your average beachwear," I said.

"Who cares?" he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.

I laughed, following him down the stairs. "Slow down, Dylan. I can't run in these shoes."

"Take them off," he said. "You can't wear them in sand anyway."

So I kicked them off and I took off running toward the beach, heels in hand.

We both collapsed in the sand, laughing. I hoped Vic didn't mind if I got her dress dirty.

"Hey, Dylan," I said, after our laughter had died down.

"What?" he asked, rolling over on his side, so that he was facing me.

"Do I really look _cute_?"

He chuckled. "Usually you do. Not in that dress though. Where did you even get that?"

"It's Vic's," I replied. "I looked in her closet like you told me to."

He stood up and held out his hand.

I grabbed and allowed him to pull me up. "What are we doing?"

"Dancing," he replied, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"But there's no music," I said, draping my arms around his neck.

He pulled out one of those muggle music devices from his pocket. "Yes there is," he said, handing me one of the earphones.

And so we stood there in the sand, arms around each other, swaying to the music. Above us, the stars shone brightly. I couldn't help but think that this was much better them some loud, crowded nightclub. Much, much better.

When I finally pulled away and told him that I needed to get home, he kissed me softly on the lips.

"Bye, Dom," he murmured. "I'll see you next summer."

I wandered home in a daze, clutching Vic's shoes to my chest.

* * *

><p><em>I don't know what your religious beliefs are, but I hope that little conversation about God didn't offend anyone. It wasn't meant to be offensive.<em>

_Just a question for all of you to answer if you want: Do you believe in ghosts?_


	19. Chapter 19

I stepped inside a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, pulling the door closed behind me.

"Hey, Xavier," I said, sitting down across from him.

He was stretched out across the entire seat, using his jacket as a pillow. His eyes were closed, his arm flung carelessly over his face. If possible, he'd lost even more weight over the summer.

"Hey," he mumbled, not looking up.

"Where's Liz?" I asked.

"The loo," he replied. "She accidently stepped in front of a hex that was meant for someone else. Now she's puking up slugs."

"Why aren't you with her?" I asked, slightly annoyed with him. Wasn't he supposed to be her boyfriend? Why was he lying here, half-asleep, while she was in the loo barfing up slugs?

"I wanted to be," he said defensively, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "But when I tried to go in there after her, some little first year girl spotted and started freaking out. She kept screaming at me, telling me that I was a boy and I couldn't be in the girl's loo. I tried to tell her to calm the hell down, that it wasn't a big deal, but she wouldn't listen." He sighed. "It was ridiculous."

"Oh," I said, nodding.

There was an awkward silence. Neither of us seemed to know what to say. He and Liz had been dating for nearly a year, but for some reason, the two of us just weren't really comfortable around each other yet. No matter what happened, no matter how much weight he lost, or how much taller he got, I still considered him to be the same chubby, annoying kid who used to follow me around everywhere I went.

I cleared my throat, staring down at my foot as I tapped it against the floor. Again and again and again. _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Where was Liz?

This was so awkward.

Maybe I could go find her. She probably needed my help.

Just as I was about to stand up, Xavier spoke.

"I got your uncle Harry's autograph the other day."

"Really?" I asked. "Where did you see him?"

"Diagon Alley," he replied. "He was with his kids buying school stuff."

"Ah," I said nodding. "That makes sense."

"I was actually surprised about how normal and down-to-earth he seemed."

"That's Harry Potter for you," I said. "He may be the savior of the entire Wizarding world, but he'll never brag about it. He's almost _too _modest, really."

Xavier leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "What's it like?" he asked. "Being a Weasley?"

I dunno," I replied, shrugging. "It's not really that interesting. People always seem to think I must live this amazing life. But I don't. Harry Potter might be in every history book that's been written in the past forty years. To everyone else, he might be the Boy Who Lived, or the Chosen One, or the Savior. But to me, he's just Uncle Harry. Ron and Hermione Weasley might be the other two-thirds of the Golden Trio. But to me, they're just my crazy aunt and uncle. Everyone in my family may have played some role in the Battle of Hogwarts and saving the world from Voldemort. But to me, they're just my family. My enormous, crazy, loud, ridiculous family."

"Hmm," murmured Xavier. "It's like that saying: there are two sides to every story. To some people your family are heroes. To you, they're just regular people."

"Yeah," I agreed.

"My dad used to tell me stories about your family when I was younger. All the heroic things they did during the war," he continued.

"Wait," I said, "your parents are muggles, aren't they?"

"Well," he said, "that's what I tell people. But it's not completely true. My mum's a muggle. My dad's a squib though. I just didn't like telling people that. It's kind of embarrassing, you know. People already had plenty of reasons to make fun of me. I didn't need to give them another."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," I said.

"I know," he replied. "That's why I'm telling you."

I smiled at him.

This was nice, actually. It was probably the first time we'd had an actual meaningful conversation together. This Xavier Smudgeley sitting across from me was a far cry from the Xavier Smudgeley of a few years ago. The one who smelled like beef jerky and who thought an interesting conversation consisted of long-winded stories about his grandmother's cats. The one who followed me around and was constantly enthusiastic about everything.

He was practically a different person.

I couldn't say that I minded though.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open and Liz walked in. She looked almost the same as she always did— kohl-lined eyes, long stringy hair, wispy dress. But she had dyed her hair dark brown. And her face looked slightly green.

She groaned slightly, lying down beside Xavier, resting her head in his lap.

"Hey, love," he said, smoothing down her hair. "How are you feeling?"

The way he was looking at her made me feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, like I was intruding on a private moment. It was the look that said: I love you more than anything in the world.

It was the look my dad was giving my mum in the photo of their wedding that sat on our mantel. The one where they're young and happy and in love, my mum in a white dress and tiara, my dad with his long hair pulled back in a ponytail.

It was the look he still gave her, twenty-two years later.

It was the look that Teddy gave Victoire, as he'd pull her closer to him, whispering something in her ear. Something that would cause her to tilt her head back and giggle. Something meant only for her.

It was the look that my uncle Ron gave my aunt Hermione when she was scolding him about something. Her expression would be furious, her finger wagging, her words heated. But you could always tell that he wasn't listening to a word. He was always just staring at her and nodding, a small smile tugging at his lips.

It was the look that I sometimes hoped that Dylan was giving me when I wasn't looking.

I sighed, leaning my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.

Later that night, after the feast, Liz and I were sitting on her bed. She had been telling me all about her summer, which mostly seemed to involve trying to master Heptomology—a branch of Divination that apparently had something to do with the number seven.

I just smiled and nodded, pretending that what she was saying made the slightest bit of sense.

"So, what about you?" she asked, leaning back against her pillow. "How was your summer?"

"Well," I said, "I was going to write to after this happened, but then I decided I wanted to tell you in person so I could see your face."

She leaned forward, "What?"

"Dylan kissed me," I whispered.

She let out a loud shriek, clapping her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with glee.

"Shut up!" shouted one of the girls who shared the dormitory with us. "Some of are trying to sleep, you know."

I laughed, picking up my wand and casting the Muffliato charm.

"I knew it!" she hissed. "I knew this would happen at some point. You were always, like, _we're just friends. _But I knew that at some point you would stop being so bloody _blind _and realize that you _love _each other!"

My raised my eyebrows. "I think you're taking this a little too far, Liz. I didn't say anything about love."

"Whatever," she replied, back to her usual calm self. "I can see your aura. I know love when I see it."

"Liz!" I snapped. "We're not in love. We're not even in relationship. We're just…" I paused, considering this. "I don't really know, actually," I finished.

Liz was silent for a moment. I prayed that she wasn't about to start reciting some nonsense about tea leaves or my horoscope.

"Sorry about leaving you alone with Xavier on the train," she said finally.

I mentally let out a sigh of relief. She was changing the subject.

"I know that you two aren't exactly the best of friends. I hope it wasn't too awkward for you," she continued.

"It actually wasn't awkward at all," I told her. "We had a really nice conversation. He even told me about his dad."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked, clapping her hands together. "That's wonderful!"

I giggled. "Oh my god! I know, right?" I squealed, mocking her enthusiastic tone.

She glared at me.

I smiled back at her sweetly.

"Get off my bed," she said, in a poor attempt at a stern tone.

I laughed, sticking my tongue out at her.

"I'm just happy that you two are getting along," she said. "It's hard when your boyfriend and your best friend don't seem to like each other."

"It's not that I didn't like him…" I protested.

She looked at me, eyebrows raised.

I bit my lip. "Well, okay, maybe it is like that," I admitted.

Liz shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of Xavier," I said, rolling over on my stomach and propping my chin in my hands. "Have you two... you know?"

A small, knowing smile speared across her face. She nodded once. "It happened this summer."

"What?" I hissed. "You lost your virginity, but when I asked you what you did this summer, all you bothered to mention was Heptomology!"

"Hey," she said defensively, "there's nothing wrong with Heptomology. It's quite interesting really. It's related to Arithmancy, you know. Its founder was Bridget Wenlock, who was a famous Arithmancer back in the 13th century."

I pretended to stifle a yawn.

She pouted.

"Seriously, Liz," I said, "why didn't you tell me that you lost your virginity? That's a big deal!"

She shrugged. "It just didn't seem like something that I needed to announce to the world. Sex is a natural thing. I'm in love with Xavier, so I had sex with him. It's what humans have been doing for thousands of years."

I was quiet for a moment.

"What's it like?" I finally asked.

"Having sex?"

I nodded.

"Wonderful," she whispered, smiling.

"But what about your first time?" I asked. "Wasn't it scary?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a little. But I knew that I loved Xavier and I knew that he loved me, so I felt completely comfortable with my decision and I don't regret it."

"Sometimes I think the scariest part about having sex would be letting the guy see me naked," I admitted.

"Why should that scare you?" asked Liz. "Everyone should be comfortable with their own bodies. You especially have nothing to worry about. You're the prettiest girl in school."

"Oh, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "That explains why not a single guy in this whole school has ever tried to ask me out."

"Well, you're not exactly approachable. You don't talk much."

"I'm still not the prettiest girl in school. There are tons of girls who are prettier than me."

"Dom," said Liz, "look at who your parents are. Fleur Weasley is one-fourth Veela. That pretty much says it all. And Bill Weasley, well… let's just say that Charlie might have the coolest job, Percy might be the most driven, George might be the funniest, and Ron might be the most famous, but Bill is definitely the most attractive. With genes from those two, there's no way that you could be anything less than stunning."

I stared at her in horror. "Did you just call my dad attractive?"

She nodded. "Well, I'm not blind, so yeah…"

"Gross, Liz, he's almost 50!"

"So what? He's still gorgeous. Even with those scars. They make him look rugged and dangerous."

I gagged slightly. "Please stop," I begged. "I do not need to hear anymore about this. Ever."

She grinned wickedly.

I pulled open the curtains of her bed and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Hopefully some sleep will help me forget this conversation ever happened."

"Goodnight, Dom," she said.

"Goodnight, Liz."

* * *

><p><em>I don't think anyone ships DomDylan harder than Liz._

_Please leave me a review. They're the only things that keep me sane, honestly. _


	20. Chapter 20

A few weeks later, I headed into town alone for the first Hogsmeade visit of the year.

Liz had offered to let me join her and Xavier, but I had declined. I already felt like the third wheel enough with them. I didn't have any interest in sitting across from them in the Three Broomsticks, watching as they snogged each other's faces off.

Last year, when the two of them would go off on their own on these visits, I would go find Hagrid in the Hog's Head and listen in amusement as he told drunken stories and reminisced with Aberforth about days long past.

Figuring that there was really nothing else to do, the Hog's Head was where I found myself heading on that sunny, September day.

I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going as I strolled along, hands in my pockets, humming a Celestina Warbeck tune that was (unfortunately) stuck in my head.

"Watch where you're going!" a female voice snarled.

I stopped walking and looked up, finding myself face to face with Colby, the former Ravenclaw who'd I'd once gotten into a fight with in the school corridor after hearing her call Vic a whore. That had been two years ago. I hadn't seen her since the end of that year, when she had graduated.

But now here she was, standing right in front of me, the same bitchy look in her eye. "You almost walked right into me," she snapped.

"Sorry," I muttered, ducking my head and trying to walk past her.

Of course, as luck would have it, my path was once again blocked, this time by Timothy Nott, the Slytherin who seemed to get a kick out of sexually harassing me.

I sighed, as I stared at the two of them. This was just abso-bloody-lutely fantastic. My two favorite people in the world. Right here in front of me.

"Hey, love," he said, kissing Colby on the cheek and flinging his arm over her shoulder.

"Hey, baby," she cooed, snuggling into his lanky frame.

"Wow, couldn't you find a man your own age?" I asked.

They both turned to stare at me. I cringed a bit, but held my ground. "He's still in school. Couldn't you find someone to date who's, you know, actually an adult?"

"He is an adult," she replied coldly. "He's 17. He'll be 18 in a few months. That's only two years younger than me."

I hoped that they never procreated. I couldn't imagine the awful, bullying children the two of them would produce together.

"You jealous, Dom?" asked Timothy, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

I felt the familiar queasy feeling in my stomach that I experienced every time he spoke to me, every time he stared at me with that look of his. The look that made me feel so… violated.

I smiled coolly. "Well, it was lovely seeing the two of you, but I better get going."

"Not so fast," said Colby, sticking her arm out to block my path. I stared at her perfectly manicured nails for a moment, wondering whether I should push her out of my way and continue on. But I thought better of it and stayed where I was. Who knew what kind of pain she could cause me with those bright red nails if I disobeyed her.

"What?" I asked, my teeth gritted.

"Is your sister still dating Teddy Lupin?"

"Why the hell do you care?" I snapped. Of course, I already knew the answer to this question before I even asked it. Everyone knew that Colby had always had a huge crush on Teddy.

"I just think that he could do better than her," she replied.

"Oh yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "He could do so much better than the girl he loves more than anything else in the world and who loves him back just as much. What _is_ he thinking?"

She just glared at me.

"Who do you think would be a better choice for him? You?" I gestured toward Timothy. "You already have a boyfriend, remember?"

She glanced at him, with a look that almost made it seem like she wished he wasn't there.

He didn't seem to notice.

"Besides," I continued, "you already had your chance with Teddy. Everyone knows that you fucked him in the Prefects' bathroom when you were in your fifth year and he was in his seventh."

The look she was giving me seemed to perfectly represent the expression: _if looks could kill. _

"But then he dumped you after… what was it that he told me?" I paused, pretending to think. "Oh, yeah, now I remember. He dumped you after he found out that you had slipped him a love potion."

Timothy pulled his arm away from her and took a step back. "A love potion?" he asked.

"So what?" she snapped at him. "That was years ago. So you can relax, I didn't slip you one."

"Oh, don't worry," he said. "I didn't think you did. I wouldn't consider myself to be anywhere near in love with you."

"Well, then come back here," she said, grabbing his hand, apparently not bothered at all by his harsh words.

He yanked it back out of her grip. "How fucking desperate do you have to be to do something like that?" he asked. "Merlin's beard, Colby. A love potion? Seriously?"

She turned and glared at me. "You're a bitch, did you know that? How dare you tell him something so personal about me!"

"No, I'm glad she did!" he said, turning around. "At least now I know to stay away from you," he added as he began to walk away.

"Timothy, wait!" she called.

He ignored her and continued walking, disappearing around a corner.

"Bye, Colby," I said, as I too began to walk away, leaving her standing there. Alone, angry, and boyfriendless.

"Nott, wait up!" I shouted, running to catch up with him.

He turned, a surprised look on his face. "What?" he asked, quickly masking it with his usual sleazy grin. "You here to cheer me up? Make me forget about Colby?"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "No, I actually wanted to ask you about something. Something you said to me about a week ago. It's been bothering me."

"What did I say?" he asked.

"Oh, just something about Vic being a slut, me being a prude, and Louis being a faggot."

His eyebrows shot up in the air. "So?"

"Well, the first two are pretty the type of things you always say. But it was what you called Louis that caught my attention."

I remembered stopping in my tracks when he said it. I had passed him in the corridor in between classes and he had started taunting me. I'd been planning to ignore him like I usually did. But then that word came out of his mouth and something clicked. Everything Louis had been doing in the past year. Skipping class. Ignoring his friends. Failing his classes. Maybe it wasn't just some moody teenage phase. Maybe he was trying to come to terms with something. Something major. Something that would affect his entire life.

"I need to know why you called him that. Were you just making stuff up or do you actually have a reason for doing so?"

He stared at me. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I just need to know if you really have a reason for calling him that. Do you really think he's gay?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, I really do."

"But why?" I asked.

"I dunno. Good gaydar, I guess."

I sighed. That wasn't exactly concrete evidence.

"Why don't you just ask him yourself?" he asked. "He's your brother."

"If he wanted me to know, then he would have told me." I paused, frustrated. "He must not be. Why wouldn't he have told me? There's nothing wrong with it. Contrary to what idiots like _you_, who use words like _that_, seem to think."

It occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be telling Timothy Nott all of this. But by that point, I just needed to someone to rant to. And Timothy, surprisingly, seemed to be listening.

"Well," he said, "there may not be anything wrong with it, but—"

"Then why would you call him that word?"

"I was trying to get to you," he replied simply, smirking slightly. "Although," he added, "I didn't think you'd take it quite this seriously."

"I've been looking for an explanation for his self-destructive behavior for so long," I said. "And this might finally be it. I just don't understand why he couldn't tell me."

"Well, like I was saying before, "said Timothy, "there may be nothing wrong with being gay, but the Wizarding world may not think so."

"What?" I snapped, exasperated. Why was he still talking to me? Why was I still talking to him?

"How many openly gay witches or wizards do you know?" he shot back.

"I… erm, well…" I stammered, thinking hard. There had to be some. Then it hit me. Of course. How could I forget? "Albus Dumbledore!" I exclaimed triumphant.

"He wasn't exactly open about it though, was he?" asked Timothy. "That information didn't even come out until after he died."

I sighed. He was right. The Wizarding world wasn't exactly a prime place for a gay teenager. If Louis was really gay, it was no wonder he was acting the way he was. Poor kid.

I looked back up at Timothy, still slightly bewildered that we'd been able to have an entire conversation that didn't consist of him trying to get me or Vic in bed with him.

"I need a drink," he said, tugging his hand through his dark hair. "Thank Merlin I'm of age. A butterbeer wouldn't cut it right now." He looked me up and down, his sleazy smirk back in place. "Care to join me? I'll buy you a firewhiskey."

"No, thanks." I replied coolly.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I watched as he turned and began walking away, in the direction of the Hog's Head.

"I know your secret," I called after him.

He turned around, eyebrows raised. "My secret?" he replied, looking amused. "And what secret would that be?"

"You're not actually a bad person," I replied.

"And how do you figure that?" he asked.

"A few days ago I saw you yell at some Slytherin boys who were teasing a little Hufflepuff girl. You even picked up the books they'd knocked out of her hands and handed them back to her." When he didn't respond, I kept going. "And then today, you seemed perfectly willing to offer me advice about my brother."

"You caught me," he drawled, still looking extremely amused. "I'm not a monster who enjoys bullying first year girls. I don't practice Dark Magic in my free time. I don't have a shrine to Voldemort in my basement. Everyone just assumes I do. You don't know what it's like. You're a Weasley. When people hear your last name, they stop and whisper. But they whisper good things. Things about heroes, and saviors, and Harry Potter. People whisper when they hear my name too." His amused expression was gone, replaced by one filled with anger. "But there's only one word on their lips. _Death Eater._" He spat the word bitterly. "Everyone knows that the Notts were some of Voldemort's earliest supporters. And they'll never let me forget it."

"Why don't you just try to prove them wrong? Maybe your last name isn't why people have a bad impression of you. Maybe it's your attitude."

"Sometimes," he said, "it's just easier to be the person that everyone already thinks you are. People are very willing to accept that you're exactly the kind of person that they expected you to be. But they're a lot less willing to change those expectations. Nobody actually sees other people for who they truly are. They just see them for who they assume they are. So why should I even bother? I'm a Nott. This is how we are. I can't change it. So I might as well just accept it."

"That's really sad," I murmured.

He shrugged. "I'll survive."

I just looked at him. I'd always assumed he was just some one-dimensional bully with a brain the size of a flobberworm's. Boy, had I been wrong.

"Now I really need that drink," he said, sighing. He looked at me, this time his expression was smirk-free. "My offer to buy you a firewhiskey's still open, in case you've changed your mind."

I shook my head. "Not today," I said. "I'm just gonna head back to the castle."

He gave me a small smile. It was perhaps the first time that his smile didn't make my skin crawl.

"Don't tell anyone about what I said," he called after me, as I began walking away.

"Don't worry," I said. "I wouldn't dream of revealing the best of you."

Later that evening, at dinner, Liz asked me how my day had gone. "Did you find someone to hang out with in Hogsmeade?" she asked.

"I wasn't there for too long," I replied. "But I did have a lovely conversation with Timothy Nott."

She snorted loudly. "Haha, very funny."

"I'm not kidding."

She looked at me skeptically. "You can't be serious. Timothy Nott?"

"I'm completely serious."

"What in the world did you talk about?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," I told her.

She glanced over to where he was sitting at the Slytherin table. "His aura has a lot of black in it."

"What does that mean?" I asked warily.

"It means he's keeping a lot of secrets," she replied.

"You know," I said, "I think that might be true. Maybe there's something to be said for this aura rubbish after all."

That night, while I was lying in bed, Timothy's words kept flashing through my head.

_Nobody actually sees other people for who they truly are. They just see them for who they assume they are._

Was that true?

I thought about Vic. Was that why I thought that she was such a selfish bitch? Because that's what I had convinced myself that she was in my mind.

I rolled over and squeezed my eyes shut. Today had been a strange day. I just wanted to sleep. All this thinking would just have to be put off until another day.

* * *

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	21. Chapter 21

The rest of the school year passed by in a whirlwind of spells, potions, homework, sadistic teachers, Hogsmeade visits, Quidditch games, Apparition practice, and lots and lots of stress. And all too soon (or maybe it was not soon enough) the last day of school arrived.

"So," I said, as I bit into my toast at breakfast, "one more year."

Liz shook her head. "That's crazy. When did we get so _old_?"

"17 isn't old," said Xavier, rolling his eyes.

Liz glared at him.

"What?" he asked, exasperated. "The average age of a wizard is, like, 120! Compared to that, 17 isn't that old."

It might not have been particularly old, but I still couldn't believe that I was 17. It felt like just yesterday that Vic was the one who was 17, standing in the kitchen, tearfully telling my mum that she was pregnant.

"Whatever," said Liz, standing up. "Come on, Dom, I need to finish packing up my stuff."

"You haven't done that yet?" asked Xavier, his mouth full of sausage.

"I'm almost finished," she said defensively. "I just need to check the bathroom, the common room, and under my bed, to make sure I didn't miss anything."

I laughed. Liz was constantly misplacing things. Once she somehow managed to leave a pair of socks in her refrigerator at home and didn't find them until she went to make a sandwich for lunch.

"Hey, Dom," I heard someone call as Liz and I made our way down the hallway.

I turned and saw Timothy Nott hurrying toward us. "What the hell do you want, Nott?" I asked.

His mouth dropped open as he pretended to look offended. "Is that anyway to speak to me on my last day of school? Aren't you going to miss me next year?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, yes, I cried myself to sleep last night just thinking about it."

Liz cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'm gonna head back to the common room," she told me. "You just come find me when you're through, alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sure."

She shot a weird look at Timothy before walking away.

"So," said Timothy, leaning up against a wall, "did you ever talk to your brother about his 'secret'?"

"No," I said, "it's not my place to ask. When he's comfortable, then he can tell me himself."

"What if he's never comfortable? You're just going to let him stay in the closet forever?"

"Go away, Nott!" I snapped. "Why do you even care so much?"

"Fine," he said, pushing himself away from the wall and walking over to where I was standing. "Let's talk about something else."

"Or we can just not talk about anything," I said, taking a step back. Why was he always in my personal space?

"You never let me buy you that firewhiskey," he said, ignoring me and taking a step closer.

"Well, I'm of age now too. I don't need you to buy me one. I can do it myself."

"But I bet you ever did," he said, taking another step closer, backing me up against a wall.

A group of girls passed by and stared at us. "She must be putting out," I heard one of them whisper.

I felt my face turning red, as Timothy smirked down at me. "You're putting out?" he asked. "How'd I miss that? Surely I would have noticed if I was having sex with someone as hot as you."

I pushed him away and started walking away. "You're such a creep, Nott."

He chased after me. "Dom, wait."

I spun around. "What?"

"You know I'm just messing with you, right?" he asked, looking slightly concerned. "I'm not trying to be that guy who harassed you in front of the Three Broomsticks two years ago."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "Back then you scared me, now you just annoy me."

He grinned. "But you like me."

"Ew, no," I snapped.

"I don't mean _like_ like," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just mean you like me as a person."

"You're _okay_," I muttered.

He stared at me. "You know what you should do?" he asked after a moment.

"What?"

"Get some this summer. Then maybe you'll stop being so bloody uptight all the time."

I immediately thought of Dylan. My face flushed as I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind.

"Yeah, I'll work on that," I said sarcastically. "Bye, Nott. Good luck with whatever you're planning on doing with your life. Try not to get fired for sexually harassing your female co-workers."

Back in the common room, Liz was on her hands and knees, peering under a couch. She popped up, a single shoe in her hand. Oh, there you are," she said. "Finished flirting with Nott, have you?"

"What in the world are you on about? I was not flirting with Nott."

"Well, I just wasn't even aware that you two had spoken since that first Hogsmeade visit. But you seemed pretty friendly."

"What about the way I was talking to him seemed _friendly_ to you?"

"Maybe not friendly, but familiar."

"Well, we've talked a few times since that Hogmeade visit. By 'talked', I mean that he's cornered me and I've had no choice. But he's not as bad as he used to be, really."

"It just seems kind of weird," she said, as she crawled over to a chair. "He used to say the most vulgar things to you."

"Well, he still does," I said. "He's just friendlier about it."

She stood up, holding the matching shoe. "Alright, well, not that I don't love talking about Timothy Nott, but I'm going to change the subject now. How excited are you to see Dylan?"

"Pretty excited," I admitted. "But nervous, too. I mean, it's been almost a year since I last saw him. I'm going to have no idea how to act around him."

"Just kiss him," she said.

"I can't do that!" I exclaimed. "What if he's changed his mind about us being romantically involved since last summer?"

"Why would he do that?" she asked.

"Maybe he met someone else."

"Someone better than you? There's no way."

I smiled a bit. "Well, I'll know in a few days."

"You better write to me and tell me every detail. And I mean _every_ detail. Don't leave out a single tongue or grope."

"Ew, Liz, don't be gross!"

Dylan didn't arrive for a week after I returned home. I spent most of that week, pacing back and forth in my room, trying to figure out what I would say to him.

He had written me and told me the day he would be arriving and to meet him on the beach.

So when that day arrived, I nervously headed down to the beach. I spotted him standing down by the water, his hands in his pockets, staring out at the water. I had planned to just go up to him and calmly say hello. Then I'd wait for him to make the first move. Let him kiss me if he wanted to. If he didn't, then I'd know that he just wanted to be friends.

But, I planned all that before I actually saw him. The minute I set eyes on him, all those plans immediately vanished from my head. He was so gorgeous. I'd missed him so much. All I wanted to do was kiss him. Forever.

So, before I could talk myself out of it, I was running toward him. "Dylan!" I shouted.

He turned and immediately a huge smile spread across his face. I jumped into his arms. He stumbled backwards slightly, but held on. "Geez, Dom—" he started to say, but I cut him off with my lips and his words became muffled. He didn't seem to mind though, because he responded full force, kissing me more hungrily than ever before. I wrapped my legs around his waist and we teetered there, on the edge of the ocean, before finally falling back into the water with a splash.

We lay there laughing for a moment, the waves crashing around us.

"Hey," said Dylan, after the laughter had faded and we had fallen silent, staring into each other's eyes. He reached up and brushed a lock of hair out of my face.

"Hey," I said, smiling. "Miss me?"

"Of course," he said. "There's no ocean in Ohio for girls to try to drown me in. Of course, there's always Lake Erie. I should be more careful around there."

"I wasn't trying to drown you!" I protested, standing up. "We just fell down…in the ocean."

He chuckled, hoisting himself up. "But, you did attack me."

"I kissed you!" I paused. "But, if it bothered you so much, I won't do it again."

"You know," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close, "I don't _really_ mind you attacking me." I smiled up at him. "In fact," he whispered, leaning in to kiss my neck. "You can try to drown me in the ocean any time you want."

I pulled back and started running back towards land. He followed me, grinning. "Where are we going?"

"I'm hungry," I replied. "I want you to buy me some fish and chips."

"You want _me_ to pay for your food."

"It's the gentlemanly thing to do," I replied, smiling sweetly.

"I think you just set the feminist moment back like 50 years," he said, as he slung his arm over my shoulders. "Gloria Steinem would not be pleased."

"I'll pretend I know who that is," I replied.

"Honestly," I said, after we'd gotten our food and had sat down to eat at a little outdoor table with an umbrella, "I just didn't have any muggle money on me. If I had, I would have paid for myself."

"That's okay," he replied. "I don't mind paying. My grandma always gives me way too much spending money when I get here. I never want to accept it, but she pretty much forces it into my hand. I don't feel too bad about it though. The woman's loaded."

I laughed.

"I want to show you something," I said, after we had finished eating.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"We have to go somewhere more private though," I said, looking around.

"_Really_?" he repeated slowly, smirking.

I smacked his arm. "Stop trying to make this sexual, Dylan. It's not."

He pouted. "Damn."

"It is really cool, though," I said as I stood up. "I think you'll agree."

"Alright," he said, standing up and grabbing my hand. "Lead the way."

We came upon an alley behind an abandoned building. "This is perfect," I said.

Dylan eyed a pile of broken glass and cigarette butts with a bemused expression. "Yeah, it's really lovely, Dom," he said.

"Yes it is," I said, "because there's no one around."

He stared at me for a moment. "Oh my god," he finally said. "You're going to kill me, aren't you? Your plan to drown me failed, so now you've brought me here."

"Yes, Dylan," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I plan to dispose of your body in that old dumpster. Even if the police find it, they'll never be able to trace the murder back to me. The killing curse leaves no evidence."

Dylan struggled to keep a straight face, but he failed. "Seriously, Dom," he said, chuckling, "what are we doing here?"

"Just watch," I said.

"Watch wha—?"

Before he even finished his sentence, I spun on my heel and Disapparated.

I appeared a few feet behind him. "Hello," I said.

He spun around quickly. "What the hell was that, Dom? You were just there!" He pointed over his shoulder. "You…did you…did you disappear into thin air?" he stared at me, looking slightly flustered.

"Yes," I replied, smiling. "I'm a witch, remember? And I'm 17 now, so I can do magic outside of school!"

"So wizards and witches can teleport?"

"It's called Apparition, but yes."

He shook his head, looking slightly dazed. "That's awesome."

I pulled out my wand. "I've been carrying this around with me all week. I love being 17."

"Show me some magic," he murmured.

I tried to ignore how inappropriate he made those four words sound, with that deep voice and that knowing little smirk.

I raised my wand and pointed it a small pile of trash. "Incendio." It immediately caught on fire.

Dylan stared at flames as they grew higher and higher, his eyes wide.

Just as quickly as I started it, I put the fire out. All that remained to show that it had existed at all was the pile of charred trash that remained behind.

Dylan pulled his eyes away from the ashes and looked up at me. "You're amazing, did you know that?"

I smiled up at him. "So what now?"

He shrugged, taking my hand. "Dunno," he said, as we began walking. "I'm sure we'll find something to do though."

I titled my head up to get a better look at him. "Oh yeah," I said. "Did you have anything in mind?"

Just as he had opened his mouth to reply, he stopped walking. "Isn't that your brother?" he asked.

I followed his gaze, peering into another alley.

He was right of course. It was Louis. And someone I didn't recognize. A boy. A boy with curly brown hair. A boy whose lips were currently pressed against my brother's.

I gasped.

* * *

><p><em>I think my review song must have worked. I got 18 reviews on the last chapter, which is way more than usual. So thank you!<em>

_I'm going to start asking a question at the end of each chapter, just because I feel like it. _

_So today's question is: Which is your favorite Harry Potter book?_

_Mine is Deathly Hallows._


	22. Chapter 22

"I didn't know Louis was gay," said Dylan, staring into the alley across the street where my brother and his mysterious 'friend' were snogging.

"I didn't either," I murmured. "I mean, I suspected it… well, Timothy Nott suspected it, actually."

Dylan pulled his gaze away from Louis and the other boy and stared down at me. "Who's Timothy Nott?"

I ignored him. "Should I go over there and confront him?" I asked, taking a tentative step into the street.

Dylan grabbed my sleeve and pulled me back. "Why would you do that?" he asked. "He's just kissing someone. How would you like it if he interrupted us while we were kissing?"

"But he's kissing a guy," I sputtered.

Dylan's eyebrows shot up in the air. "So?" he asked. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, nothing," I said. "But he never told me. I don't understand why he couldn't have told me."

"Well, I can't imagine it's easy," said Dylan reasonably.

"Yeah, Timothy Nott said that too."

Dylan's eyebrows knitted together. "Who's Timothy Nott? You didn't answer before."

At that moment, a car drove past. Louis pulled away from whoever he was kissing and glanced up at it. It rolled right on past, exposing me and Dylan.

"Busted," I muttered under my breath.

Louis's eyes widened at the sight of us and I could hear him swear loudly from across the street.

I watched as he said a few words to the other boy, too quietly for me to make any of it out. The boy nodded and scampered away, eventually disappearing around a corner.

Louis crossed the street. "So," he said, folding his arms, "been spying on me?"

"We were walking down the street," I told him. "Dylan saw you and… that kid."

"His name's Charlie."

I nodded. "He saw you and Charlie… snogging."

Louis stared at the ground, kicking a rock with his shoe. "Er… surprise!"

"I had my suspicions," I said. "I mean, all that crap you pulled with abandoning your friends and giving up on school… there had to be a reason, didn't there?"

"Yeah, I guess" mumbled Louis.

"Do you want to talk about this?" I asked. "We can go home. Nobody else is there." I turned to Dylan. "You don't mind, do you? I'll hang out with you tomorrow."

"Dom," said Louis. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Maybe some other time."

"Oh," I said, blinking. "Yeah, okay. Sure. Fine. Some other time."

He lifted one corner of his mouth in what I think was supposed to be a smile. Then he turned and hurried away.

"My brother's gay too," said Dylan suddenly.

"Really?" I asked. "Which one?" Dylan had two older brothers. One was named Mark. He was 27. The other was Ryan. He was 23.

"Ryan," he replied.

"I wonder what it's like, kissing someone of the same sex?" I mumbled.

"Pretty much the same as kissing someone of the opposite sex. Lips are lips, you know."

I turned to stare at him, eyebrows raised. "How would you know that?"

He shrugged. "It was only one time. I figured that it's one of those things I should try once in my life. Just to say I have."

"You kissed a guy?" I asked. I paused, then my eyes widened. "It _was_ just a kiss, right?"

"A gentleman never tells," he said with a wink.

I shook my head. "Merlin's beard, Dylan."

"So you're saying you've never _experimented_?" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I shook my head. "Of course not!"

"You and Liz never…"

"No!"

"Hey," he said. "It's possible."

"So," I said, choosing to ignore him, not wanting this conversation to go on a minute longer than it had to. "What now?"

We ended up heading back to my house. I wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. All I could think about was Louis. Who was this Charlie kid? How long had they known each other? Were they dating? Why didn't he want to talk about this with me? Did anyone else know about this or was I the first?

When Dylan and I stepped inside Shell Cottage, Vic immediately appeared, holding Jackie. She was wearing her Flourish and Blotts work robes and looked slightly frazzled.

I hadn't seen her in the entire week that I'd been home. Which meant that I actually hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wondered what she was doing here now. She seemed to avoid coming here if she could help it.

"Thank Merlin, you're here," she said, thrusting the sleeping two-year-old at me. "Can you watch her for me? Please, please, please? I have to be at work in like two minutes and there's nobody else who can!"

"I thought you had today off," I said, confused. "Isn't it Monday?"

"I normally do," she replied. "But I have to cover for someone. I was going to ask Louis to do it. He's always here. But he's not today. Bit strange, don't you think? Maybe he's finally got himself a girlfriend."

Dylan snorted loudly. I elbowed him in the ribs and he shut up.

"I was completely freaking out. I was positive he was going to be here. But you're here now and so can you please watch her?"

"Yeah," I said. "Sure."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, before turning on her heel and disappearing.

I turned to Dylan. "Okay, well, I guess we're babysitting today."

He looked down at her, her eyes closed, her breathing heavy. "I think we should probably put her down for a nap."

After we had done that, we headed into the living room, where we sat talking on the couch for a while. I asked him about his family. He complained about his dad for what seemed like ages. Apparently he had seen him twice within the past year and both visits had been completely disastrous.

"He's such a dick!" he exclaimed. The angry expression on his face seemed to be one he reserved solely for his father.

"I know," I said, patting his arm sympathetically.

"I almost punched him in the face at Christmas. He made this nasty remark about my mom and all I could think was how great feeling his nose crunching under my fist would feel."

"Merlin, Dylan," I murmured.

"And then that dumb slut he's married to tried to 'comfort me' later on. I can't stand her. She's so stupid. And she's so freaking young. She's a year younger than my oldest brother! Why the hell did my dad think that it would be okay to marry someone who's younger than his son?"

"Dylan…"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I'm just ranting now. I'll stop."

"It's okay," I replied. "Sometimes it's good to rant. It's better than holding all your emotions inside. I used to do that, but recently I've found that it makes me feel better to just confront people."

He looked at me and my stomach started doing flips. Merlin, he was so beautiful. Those eyes. That lopsided smile. The lock of dark hair that flopped down in his face. I reached out to brush it back. My fingers brushed against his skin and I felt a tingling sensation. I suddenly became aware of how quiet it was. The only sound was our breathing, mixed with thump of my own heartbeat.

"Dom…" he breathed.

"Yes?" I replied, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and kissed me. He pressed his entire body against mine and slowly pushed me down against the couch, so that we were practically horizontal, my head resting on the arm of the couch. I opened my mouth slightly, allowing his tongue access.

Eventually he pulled his mouth away, and I moaned in protest. He panted heavily, staring down at me. "Can I ask you something?" he mumbled.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath.

"Who's Timothy Nott?"

"Shut up," I giggled, pulling his face back down to mine.

"If you insist," he mumbled against my lips.

His hand trailed up and down my arm. Every touch felt electrifying. "Your skin's so soft," he murmured, pulling away to kiss my neck. I felt his hand leave my arm and push aside the bottom of my tank top. The cool skin of his hand pressed against my bare stomach, sending shivers up and down my spine. Ever so slowly, it began to creep further and further up. It felt so good and yet…

"Dylan, stop," I mumbled, placing my hands against his chest and pushing him away.

"Sorry," he muttered, sitting up quickly. "I didn't mean to… I won't do it again… I just… I got carried away…" He trailed off, looking slightly nervous.

"No, it's fine. I just… erm…" I too trailed off awkwardly, leaving my unfinished sentence hanging in the air.

We sat there quietly for a minute. Every so often I'd shoot a glance at him, but quickly turn away whenever he'd turn to look at me. Neither of us seemed to know what to say. I almost wished Jackie would wake up so we'd have something to do.

All sorts of worries began creeping into my mind. I was a virgin. Dylan, most definitely, was not. What was he going to expect out of this relationship. What if he started pressuring me? What if he got bored and left to find some girl who would put out for him?

I mentally gave a sigh of relief when Jackie did wake up. The awkwardness immediately disappeared as Dylan lay on the floor, playing dolls with her, and I sat on the couch, laughing at him.

"Shut up, Dom," he said, laughing. "Get down here and play with us."

So I did.

Over the next couple months, I did things with Dylan that I'd never done before. I felt things that I'd never felt before. He opened up a whole new world of experiences, thoughts, feelings.

In the evenings, I'd stand in front of the mirror in my bedroom, staring at the red marks he'd left on my neck, remembering the feeling of his hands on my skin, the look in his eye.

It seemed that whenever we were together, I would let things go a little farther each time. I never meant to. It just happened. There was something about his kisses that made me feel woozy, made me feel drunk. I'd never actually been drunk before, but I imagined it felt something like this. Out of control, amazing, dangerous, addictive.

But, one thing hadn't changed. We'd done a lot of things, but we hadn't done _that._

I was still a virgin.

Whenever things started heating up to much, whenever they felt like they were heading in that direction, I'd pull away, tell him I wasn't ready.

It was true. I wasn't. I really, really liked Dylan. A lot. But I'd always told myself that I wouldn't have sex with a guy until I knew I loved him. Until I knew he was _The One._

One day, in the late afternoon, Dylan and I came across an abandoned old shack on the beach. We had been running on the beach, chasing one another, laughing hysterically and basically acting like idiots. But the shack caught our attention and we stopped to examine it. There were trees and weeds built up all around it. All its windows were boarded up. Its paint was peeling. It didn't look like anyone had been inside it for years.

Dylan pulled out his camera and snapped a few pictures.

"Let's go inside," he said.

I followed him in. There were cobwebs everywhere. It was completely empty. Not a single piece of furniture anywhere. No sign that it had ever been someone's home. There was sand all over the floor; it had obviously blown through the cracks under the door and between the windows.

I became aware of how alone we were. We'd obviously been alone before. Quite often, in fact. But it was always somewhere that we could possibly be caught. When we were at one of our houses, there was always the possibility that someone would come home. When we were on the beach or in town, there was always the possibility that someone would walk by.

But here there was pretty much no possibility of that. My parents weren't going to randomly decide to check out the inside of an abandoned shack that was at least twenty minutes away from our house. His grandmother certainly wouldn't be anywhere near here. Nobody was going to find us here. We were completely alone.

I turned to look at Dylan. He was staring at me. I smiled, as I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He leaned down and kissed me.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on top of him on the ground and we were snogging like our lives depended on it. Somewhere along the line, my clothes had disappeared. Now I was only in my bikini. I pulled away and sat up slightly, so that I was straddling him, one knee on either side. I picked up his camera and snapped a picture of him. The image immediately appeared on the screen and I looked down at it. In the photo he was staring up at me, his eyes filled with lust, like he wanted me and only me.

I set the camera aside and looked down at his real face. He was still staring at me, the same look in his eye. As I leaned down to kiss him, I thought for the first time that maybe he could be _The One. _Maybe I did love him.

As our kiss deepened, I became more and more sure that this was indeed the case. The things I felt when I looked at him, they _had _to be love. There was no other explanation.

So when his hand moved to the back of my neck and he began to fumble with the knot at the back of my bikini, I didn't stop him.

And when he whispered, "Are you sure?" in my ear a few minutes later, I just nodded.

Except in the moment right before it happened, a thought crossed my mind. I loved him. I was sure of it now. But how did I know that he loved me? He'd never said it before. I tried to push the thought from my mind, but there it stayed. If he loved me, wouldn't he tell me? Especially in this moment, when I was about to give him everything. I'd always told myself that I wouldn't sleep with a guy until I knew he loved me too. And I realized that this was _not_ something that I was sure of. I froze up and Dylan seemed to notice.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I… I can't do this," I said, rolling of him and fumbling around for my bikini, quickly pulling it on.

He sat up and pulled on his boxers.

"Are you mad?" I whispered.

Dom," he said, lying back down, "don't you remember what I said to you that time I suggested that you smoke a cigarette?"

I shook my head. I felt dizzy. I couldn't think.

"I told you that I would _never _pressure you to do something that you don't want to do."

I smiled as I crawled back over to him. I lay down beside him, my head resting on his chest. "Can we just lay here for a while?" I asked. "I've got a few hours until I need to be home for dinner."

"Sure," he murmured, pulling me closer, out legs tangling together. "We can do that."

I yawned and the world slowly faded to black.

* * *

><p><em>There are a few things I need to mention:<em>

_First, someone left a comment on the prequel to this story 'Pregnant at Seventeen' saying that the summary was not rated K (which all summaries have to be) because teen pregnancy is an adult theme, and that I needed to change it within 24 hours or they would report me. So I changed it. I also changed the title (which is also supposed to be rated K) just to be on the safe side. So the story is now called 'Unexpected'._

_Second, my last chapter recieved 25 reviews, which is the highest amount yet. This story is now my highest reviewed story, beating out Pregnant at Seventeen/Unexpected. So thank you so much!_

_Third, I posted a couple pictures on my profile of a boy and a girl who I think resemble Dylan and Dom. So check them out if you're interested. _

_The question of the day is: What is the last movie you saw in the movie theater?_

_Mine was The Avengers, which I absolutely loved!_


	23. Chapter 23

When I awoke, light was streaming in from the cracks in the boarded up windows. I sat up quickly and looked around, panicking. What time was it?

"Dylan," I hissed, shaking him. When he didn't budge, I shook him harder. "Dylan!"

"Mmm," he groaned, pushing my hand away and turning his head.

By then I had completely lost my patience. There was light outside. Bright, blinding light. Which meant it was morning. Which meant that we had slept through the night. Which meant I had missed dinner. Which meant my parents were probably pissed. I did _not_ have time to deal with a stupid boy who refused to wake up.

"Dylan! Wake up!" I snarled in his ear.

His eyes popped open. "Jesus, Dom."

"It's morning," I told him, unable to hide the panic in my voice. "My parents are going to kill me."

He sat up quickly. "Shit."

"We fell asleep," I said. "We weren't supposed to fall asleep."

He pulled out his phone.

"What time is it?" I asked nervously.

"Eight."

I stood up, hurriedly pulling on the rest of my wrinkled clothes. I mentally kicked myself for leaving my wand at my house. I knew I looked terrible, but I couldn't fix anything. I didn't even have a hairbrush or a mirror. I hoped that I could sneak into my bedroom and get cleaned up before my mum saw me.

"Bye, Dylan," I said, as I pulled open the door and stepped out into the bright, August morning. "I'll see you tomorrow before you leave, okay? Or I will if I'm not grounded for eternity."

Before he even got a chance to respond, I had started running. I mentally kicked myself even harder. Without my wand, I couldn't Disapparate.

By the time I reached Shell Cottage, I was panting like a dog and dripping in sweat. Pushing open the front door, I tentatively stepped inside. I didn't see anyone, so I took a few more steps. All I had to do was make it to my room…

"Dominique Gabrielle Weasley."

I let out a surprised yelp and looked up, finding myself looking straight a very angry-looking Fleur Weasley. Her arms were folded over her chest and she was glaring at me. Where had she even come from?

I gulped, trying to remember that prayer you're supposed to say before you die. I'd never been much of a believer, but now seemed like a pretty good time to start.

"Er, hello," I murmured.

"You were with zat boy, weren't you?" she asked. Her voice was calm. Almost too calm. It reminded me of the calm before a storm. It was quiet now, but in a few moments a hurricane was bound to roaring through, destroying everything in its path. So I braced myself for my mother to start yelling, for the hurricane to begin.

I nodded. "Yes, I was with Dylan."

She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything right away. Maybe she wasn't going to start yelling after all.

I glanced over at the mirror that was hanging on the wall and finally saw what she was seeing. My hair was a mess, bits and pieces sticking up in every direction. The little makeup that I'd been wearing was smudged all around my eyes. My clothes were wrinkly. There was a hickey on my neck and a red mark across my face where the wood floor had been pressed against it.

"If you're not careful," my mum finally said, "you're going to end up like Vic."

"I didn't have sex with him," I replied. "We just fell asleep, alright?"

She lifted an eyebrow, like she didn't quite believe me. Not that I completely blamed her. From the reflection I saw in the mirror, my appearance wasn't exactly backing up my statement.

"Well, maybe you didn't," she said. "But from ze looks of zings, you two weren't exactly sitting around, playing chess either."

"You're right," I said. "We almost had sex, but I was too nervous to go through with it." I wasn't sure why I told her the truth, but I guess I just hoped that she would leave me alone afterward.

She muttered something in French. But it was too quiet for me to hear, especially since my French wasn't exactly great.

"Sorry," I said. "Could you repeat that?"

"You're more like Victoire zan you'd like to zink," she said. "So young and yet so willing to give up everything for a boy. You both fall in love too easily."

I just stared at her, horrified by the idea of being compared to Vic. I was _nothing_ like her.

My mum sighed heavily and for only the second time in my life I thought that she was showing her age. There were dark spots under eyes, like she hadn't slept in days. I realized how hard all this must be on her. She had one daughter who at age 20 already had a kid and had lived with two different guys. She had another daughter who, at least in her eyes, seemed to be headed in the exact same direction. And she had a son who spent most of his days locked in his room, barely speaking to anyone and barely passing any of his classes.

The days when we had a normal family seemed for long ago that I wasn't even sure they had ever existed.

"I'm going upstairs," I said quietly.

Once I was in my room, I shut the door and turned to look in the mirror. Merlin, I looked awful. I opened a drawer and began digging around. I was sure that there was some makeup remover in there somewhere. Something my mum had bought me once a few years ago in some shop in Diagon Alley in the hopes that I would start acting like a girl and wear makeup.

My hand brushed against a crumpled piece of paper, the muggle kind, and I pulled it out. I unfolded it, smoothing out the wrinkles. It was one of the many lists I'd made. It was labeled: _My Perfect Guy. _I vaguely remembered making it. It had been five years ago, on the day that I'd accidently walked in on Vic and Colin shagging on her bed. The day I met Dylan.

I sat down on my bed and started reading.

_1.) Clean-cut and polite_

_2.) Smart and driven_

_3.) Not a muggle_

_4.) Athletic/plays Quidditch_

_5.) Not a musician or an artsy/hipster type_

_6.) Does not smoke!_

I almost laughed. I remembered being so proud that my perfect guy was nothing like Colin, that my taste was so different than Vic's. And yet, Vic was now with someone who was basically this list personified. Teddy Lupin was all these things. I, on the other hand, had chosen a guy who was probably less than half the things on this list.

Dylan was far from clean-cut, though I supposed he was pretty polite. He was smart, but not particularly driven about anything that didn't involve photography. He was definitely a muggle. He was athletic, but chose not to use that particular skill. He wasn't a musician, but he was a photographer, and was therefore artsy. And he smoked.

I remembered how disgusted I'd always been about the fact that Colin smoked. I didn't understand how Vic could stand it. I'd been so sure that I'd _never_ go anywhere near a guy who smoked. It was the only thing on the list that had an exclamation mark after it. The one thing that I had considered an absolute must.

I sighed. Life had been so much more clear-cut at age 12. Back then it had never occurred to me that the guy who would make my insides tingle, who would make me want to kiss him forever, who I would consider giving my virginity to would be a guy who went against almost everything on this list. I hadn't realized that you couldn't choose who you fell in love with, you just fell. Hard. And you normally landed on your head, dazed and confused, wondering how you'd even gotten there in the first place.

The next day passed by in a blur. I packed all my things up so they'd be ready for school. I went to see Dylan, but we just hung out on his grandmother's porch, talking. I wasn't much in the mood to do much kissing. I wasn't sure that I would be able to say 'no' a second time. If we got too far, I'd probably just let us go all the way. After a few hours, I went home to have dinner with my parents and Louis.

Louis still hadn't told anyone about being gay. From the little he'd told me, Dylan and I were the only ones that knew.

I stared across the table at him, as he silently picked at his food. It occurred to me that this was the second time that I was the only one in the family who knew a huge, life-changing secret about my siblings because I had accidently found out. Three years ago, I'd been sitting in this exact seat, staring at Vic and wondering when she was going to tell my parents that she was pregnant.

"So, seventh year," my dad said, trying to break the awkward silence. "Are you excited, Dom?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Not looking forward to N.E.W.T.s though."

"You'll do fine," said Dad, smiling. "You're a smart girl."

"Yeah, and you won't have baby to look after while you're trying to study," said Louis. "That should help."

Mum glared at him. "Louis, eat your dinner."

"At least," he said, "I don't think you will. But then again, I've seen you with Dylan recently, so who knows…"

I wanted to reach across the table and smack him. Why was he being such a little prick? He never acted like this with me. Or at least he hadn't until recently. During the last couple of months, since I'd seen him snogging that boy, he'd been acting quite cold with me. I wasn't sure why. You'd think he'd want to be extra nice to make sure I didn't spill his secret.

"Shut up, Louis," I snapped. "I'd be nicer to people if I were you, especially to the ones who know certain _things_."

His eyes widened.

"What things?" asked Dad.

"Nothing," I said, spearing a large piece of chicken with my fork and sticking the entire thing in my mouth. I chewed for an extra long time, hoping that by the time I had finished, my dad would have forgotten I'd said anything.

When I finally swallowed, all three of them were staring at me. Louis was glaring at me, obviously angry about what I'd said. Mum just looked disgusted by my lack of table manners. And Dad still looked like he wanted an answer.

"What things?" he repeated.

"Nothing," I said. "Nothing at all."

He turned to Louis. "Do you know what she's talking about?"

He shook his head, not looking up from his plate.

My dad dropped his fork, and all three of looked up, startled, when it hit his plate with a clang.

"I don't know what's going on here," said Dad. "But I want an answer. Louis, your behavior over the past couple years has gotten worse and worse. Your Hogwarts education is a privilege. Your mother and I do not want you to throw it all away. So if there is a reason that you are acting like this, then I want to know. Now."

"Fine," said Louis, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair. "I'm gay. Are you happy now?"

I choked on the sip of water that I'd just taken. I didn't think that he was actually going to tell them.

Mum didn't look very shocked. Perhaps she'd suspected. Or maybe she was just relieved that it wasn't something worse. Being gay was a lot better than having a drug problem or a police record.

Dad, on the other hand, looked stunned. "Gay?" he whispered.

Louis nodded.

"I see," said Dad quietly. "Well, okay then. Thank you for telling me." He stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I just remembered that I have an urgent meeting to attend. Completely slipped my mind. Better get going though, those Gringotts goblins don't like to be kept waiting." And then he was gone.

Louis stared at the place where Dad had been standing a moment before. "Well, that went well," he said sarcastically. He stood up. "The food tasted great, Mum. I'll be upstairs if you need me." He turned to leave.

"Louis," she said. "Come back here."

He turned around. "What?"

"Your father will come around," she said. "Zis is just a big surprise to 'im."

"Yeah, whatever," he replied, before disappearing up the stairs.

I looked at my mother. She was staring at their two empty chairs, their plates of half-eaten food sitting right in front of them. Her beautiful face looked sad.

"Mum," I said gently. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

She shook her head. "No zank you, darling."

Later that night, I was lying in bed, when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I called.

The door creaked open and Louis stepped inside. I was surprised to see him. I assumed that he was angry at me for what I'd said.

"Hey," I said uncertainly, wondering if he was going to yell at me.

"Hey," he said, walking over to my bed and sitting down on the edge. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. You know, when I implied that you could be pregnant. That was out of line."

"It's okay," I replied. "But just so you know, I'm definitely not pregnant. It wouldn't be possible."

"Really?" he asked. "I figured you slept with Dylan. I mean, you stayed out with him all night a couple days ago."

"Well, technically I did _sleep_ with him," I said. "But nothing more than actual sleeping."

"Oh," he said.

"Look, Lou, I'm really sorry that I implied you had a secret at dinner. If I hadn't said anything, then you wouldn't have had to tell them."

He shrugged. "You know, it was actually kind of a relief. I think part of the reason I've been such an arse to you recently is that subconsciously I was hoping you'd get annoyed enough with me that you'd say something. It's been a hard thing to keep secret for two years."

"That makes sense," I said.

He swung his feet up onto my bed and lay down next to me. I remembered back when he was little and he would come running into my room every time he heard a noise that scared him and would fall asleep in my bed. Of course, it had been years since he'd done that. He wasn't five anymore. The last time had been three years ago, when he was 11, right after Vic had revealed she was pregnant. But even then, I remembered thinking how long it had been since the last time he had.

"Ready for your fourth year at Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Not really," he said. "You know that I don't like school. Seems like a waste to me. The things I want to do with my life don't require school."

"What do you want to do with your life?" I asked.

"I dunno," he said. "I just know that it won't require school. Maybe I'll drop out once I turn 17."

"Louis," I snapped. "You have to finish school. Even Vic finished school and she did it while caring for a baby!"

"Uncle George and Uncle Fred dropped out," he said. "And they opened up a very successful joke shop."

"Well, they had a life plan when they dropped out," I said. "They knew they wanted to open a joke shop and they had the money to do so. You, on the other hand, don't know what you want to do."

"Well, maybe I'll figure it out by the time I'm 17," he said.

"Finish school, kid," I said wearily.

"I'll think about it," he murmured in reply, closing his eyes. "Goodnight, Dom."

"Goodnight, Lou."

I spent most of the next day answering all of Liz's questions. Apparently the detailed letters I'd sent her nearly every week weren't enough for her. She wanted to know everything.

"Do you think I should have had sex with him?" I asked her that evening, as we sat together on her bed, talking.

"Not if you weren't ready," she said.

I sighed. "I thought I was ready, but then I realized that he'd never said he loved me. I just couldn't have sex with someone who doesn't love me."

"Dom," she said. "I'm sure he loves you."

"Then why didn't he say so?" I snapped. "Xavier tells you that the he loves you. Dad tells Mum. Teddy tells Vic. Even Colin told her. So why can't Dylan tell me?"

"Maybe it's just not something he's comfortable saying. Maybe he's scared." She lifted an eyebrow. "You know, it is the 21st century. You could have said it first and seen what his response would have been."

"Well, what if I'd said it and he didn't reply? Or he said 'thank you' or something?"

She snorted. "Thank you?"

"It happens. Once I overheard Vic's first boyfriend, some kid named Quincy who she dated when 14, say he loved her. And her response was 'thank you'. Shockingly they broke up a few days later."

"I don't remember this Quincy kid at all," Liz said. "She dated someone before Colin?"

"It lasted like three weeks. I'm pretty sure they only kissed, like, twice."

She giggled. "Wow."

Somehow, Liz and Xavier seemed even closer than usual that year. They spent more and more time together, being sickeningly sweet. They never even argued. Consequently, I found myself spending more and more time down at Hagrid's, listening as he recounted tales of my aunts and uncles when they were in school. As he'd stare off into space, remembering some long forgotten detail about something my uncle Harry had done once to earn himself a detention, I'd pull out my wand and empty the contents of my tea cup and try to feed his cooking to his dog.

It was actually depressing. Other Liz, Hagrid was my only friend. And since Liz was often busy hanging out with Xavier, he was the only I could talk to sometimes.

It almost made me miss Timothy Nott (not that I'd ever admit that to him). But if we were still in school at least I would have someone close to my age to hang out with in Hogsmeade, like we did last year when Liz and Xavier were on dates together.

So, on the first Hosmeade visit of the year, after I'd already resigned myself to the fact that it would be spent with Hagrid and Aberforth in the Hog's Head, I tried not to act to excited when I spotted Timothy walking down the street.

"Nott," I called, hurrying toward him. "Hey, Nott."

He turned, is face immediately rearranging itself into a smirk when he saw me. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Dominique Weasley. Did you miss me?"

"I'll miss you when hell freezes over, Nott."

He chuckled, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the Three Broomsticks. "Come on, I'll buy you a firewhiskey."

"Butterbeer," I corrected him. "You can buy me a butterbeer."

He rolled his eyes as we sat down at the nearest unoccupied table. "You're so boring. Which remind me. Did you take my advice over the summer?"

"What advice?"

"You know, when I told you to get laid."

I shook my head. "Nope, sorry."

He sighed, ordering our drinks.

"You were right," I said suddenly. "About Louis, I mean." I wasn't sure why I was telling him. Other than my parents, Louis still hadn't told anyone. I guess I just knew, somehow, that Timothy would keep this to himself.

"I'm always right," said Timothy.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, okay."

Timothy looked past me, toward the door. His eyes widened. "Shit!"

I glanced over my shoulder. "What?"

"See that girl?" he hissed. "The one with the curly brown hair."

I nodded. "Yeah." I vaguely recognized her as being a Hufflepuff in my year. I couldn't remember her name though.

"I hooked up with her over the summer."

I raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"So, I might have, in a drunken stupor, told her that I would hang out with her during the first Hogsmeade visit of the year. Something I now regret saying."

"Well, if you don't want to, then why would you have even come here today? Surely you realized that you might run into her."

"I completely forgot. Until now." His eyes widened even more. "She's coming over here. Quick. Do something!"

"You owe me for this," I said, standing up and relocating myself to his lap. "Big time."

Timothy stared at me, shocked. "What are you—?"

"Play along!" I hissed in his ear. I pulled away just as the girl approached our table. "Oh my god, Timothy," I said in a high-pitched voice, playfully slapping his arm. "You're so funny."

"What's going on here?" the girl asked.

"Clarissa!" said Timothy, pretending to look surprised to see her. "Look, babe, I'm sorry about this. I, erm… I meant to owl you and cancel our date…" He trailed off, shrugging. "Sorry."

"I can't believe I trusted you!" she screeched. She turned and hurried back out the door

I quickly stood up. "I can't believe I did that for you. I'm going to have nightmares."

"Face it, Dom," he said, grinning. "You did that for me, because like it or not, we're friends."

I sat back down in my chair. "Maybe," I said slowly.

I supposed that somewhere along the line, without completely realizing it, I had grown quite fond of Timothy Nott.

I smiled at him. "Why don't you buy me that firewhiskey?"

* * *

><p><em>This is the longest chapter yet. Which is kind of surprising actually because I was having some issues while trying to write it. I have a plan for this story and I know where I'm going with it, but there are a few details I haven't figured out yet. So instead of trying to figure them out, I just ignored this story and avoided writing this chapter at all costs. But I finally did, so I hope you like it! Please review and let me know if you did.<em>

_While I wasn't writing this chapter, I wrote one-shot called "Dirty Little Secret" about Andromeda and Ted. So if any of you want to check that out and review, I will totally love you even more than I do now._


	24. Chapter 24

"So, Louis," I said, stuffing a homemade Christmas cookie in my mouth. "Are you still with that kid—the one I saw you with over the summer?"

Louis shook his head. "We broke up like a week after that, actually."

It was Christmas day, and Louis and I were currently sitting on a couch in the Burrow.

"Have you thought about telling anyone else about… you know?" I asked. So far he'd only told me and my parents about being gay. My parents had told Vic (who had probably told Teddy), and I had told Timothy and Liz. But as far as I knew, we were the only ones that knew.

Louis leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. "I dunno. I mean, I've kept it a secret for two and a half years now, maybe I should keep it that way."

"So you're just going to stay in the closet forever?" I asked.

His eyes snapped back open. "Merlin, Dom, keep your voice down." He glanced over to where Rose and Albus were sitting nearby. Neither of them appeared to have heard.

"Well?" I asked, grabbing another cookie from the plate sitting beside the couch and sticking it in my mouth. My grandmother was trying to make me fat, I was sure of it. These cookies were just too good. "Are you?" I asked, a couple of crumbs flying out of my mouth.

Louis shot me a disgusted look. "Of course not, but maybe I'll wait until I'm done with school. There are fewer people in the real world who are going to hex me or stick my head in a toilet when they find out."

I swallowed. "True."

"But then again," he said, "it would be nice to just be able to be myself for once."

I nodded. "I imagine it would."

"But how exactly do you go about coming out to the entire school?" he asked. "Am I just supposed to stand up on the table at dinner and announce it?"

I glanced over to where Vic and Teddy were sitting, talking to his grandmother and her new husband, a muggle named Arnold.

"How did Vic tell everyone she was pregnant?" I asked. "I just remember that one day everyone in the school knew. I just don't remember how."

Louis shrugged. "Only one way to find out," he said. "Hey, Vic!" he called across the room. "C'mere for a minute."

She handed Jackie to Teddy and crossed the room. "What?" she asked, eyeing the plate of cookies.

"How'd you tell the whole school you were pregnant?" he asked.

She grabbed a cookie. "Why do you ask?"

"He's thinking of coming out to the school," I said.

"Quiet!" Louis hissed, staring at Hugo as he walked by.

I rolled my eyes. "He didn't hear anything. Calm down."

"Well, it was actually quite easy," said Vic. "Rox purposely told the biggest gossip in school and she spread it around. Everyone knew within the hour."

"Vic!" someone called.

I watched as she spun around and broke into a huge smile. "Rox! Fred!" She took off in the direction of our two cousins, who also happened to be two of her best friends.

Well, our conversation had lasted for about a minute. That was longer than usual…

I turned to Louis. "So are you gonna do it?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

Later that night, after we had returned home, I headed downstairs to get a glass of water. I paused outside the kitchen when I heard my parents whispering. I peeked inside the room. Mum was sitting at the kitchen table and Dad was leaning up against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, frowning.

… and you've barely spoken to Louis since 'e got 'ere," Mum was saying.

I held my breath, hoping that they were too caught up in their conversation to notice me. I wanted to hear what they were saying. Maybe I'd figure out why Dad was ignoring Louis.

Dad shifted uncomfortably, unfolding his arms and running his fingers through his hair. "I just… I don't know what to say to him."

"Bill," said Mum gently. "You don't 'ave to treat 'im any differently zan you did before. 'E is still the exact same person zat 'e 'as always been. 'E is still your son."

"I know," Dad said. "I know he is."

"Zen you need to make sure 'e knows that you know."

When Dad didn't reply and it became obvious that the conversation was over, I stepped into the kitchen. "Hello," I said brightly, pretending to be completely oblivious to the conversation they had been having. "Just needed a glass of water. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No," said my mum, standing up. "We were just going to bed. Weren't we, Bill?"

He nodded and followed her out of the room.

The next morning when I came downstairs, I found my dad and Louis sitting at the kitchen, quietly eating breakfast together. They weren't saying much, but there was definitely no tension. They looked comfortable, like a father and son should. I shot Louis a thumbs up from behind Dad. He smiled slightly, before looking back down at his bowl of cereal.

I spent the rest of the year cramming like crazy for my N.E.W.T.s.

"Argh," I moaned one night in April, looking up from my textbook. I can't do this anymore. I give up."

Liz, Xavier, and I were sitting in the Ravenclaw common room, doing homework. It was nearly two in the morning and the room was nearly deserted, except for a few other seventh years who were also frantically trying to finish the inane amount of homework our teacher s were assigning in order to 'better prepare us for our exams'.

"Dom," said Liz. "You can't give up."

"I'm pretty sure I haven't slept in days."

"None of have," muttered Xavier, as he stared down at his essay with a look of extreme concentration.

"At least there's a Hogsmeade visit on Saturday," said Liz, always the optimist. "We'll be able to get a break from all this."

Yes, wonderful. I would be able to hang out with Hagrid in the Hog's Head, while she and Xavier snogged in Madame Puddifoot's. How fun.

On Saturday, I took my time walking into Hogsmeade. What was the rush? There was nothing waiting for me there.

Except apparently there was…

"Dom!" I heard someone shout as I passed by the Thee Broomsticks.

I turned around and saw Timothy Nott running toward me. "Hey," I said, unable to stop the grin that was spreading across my face.

"Happy to see me?" he asked, smirking.

"No," I said.

"Yes you are."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked, as I followed him into the Three Broomsticks. "I haven't seen you since, like, September, have I?"

"Yeah," I said, taking a seat at the nearest open table. "During the first Hogsmeade visit of the year."

We talked for a while. I told him about all the homework the teaches had been giving, and he nodded sympathetically. He told me about a job he'd gotten at the Ministry.

"Hey, look," he said, looking past me and smirking. "It's Colby."

I turned around. Sure enough it was.

"Hey, Colby," said Timothy, waving at her.

She walked over. "What the hell are you doing sitting here with _her_?" she asked.

He ignored her question. "So, how's the love life going? Used any love potions on some unsuspecting guy lately?"

I giggled.

Colby glared at me. "Shut up, freak."

Timothy chuckled. "Oh yeah, _she's_ the freak…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"Oh wow, a little slow today, are we? Well, I'll try to explain it to you in simple words. People who use love potions are freaks." He said the last sentence slowly, enunciating every word, as if speaking any faster would confuse her.

By that point, my face was buried in my hands and I was laughing loudly. He was being a complete arse, but she deserved it. So much.

After she had flounced away, seething with anger,I turned to Timothy. "You're a bad influence on me, Nott," I said. "You're bringing out the mean side in me. I need to stop hanging out with you."

He glanced down at his watch. "Well, you're in luck. There's somewhere I need to be." He stood up. "I'll see you later, Dom."

I watched him go and sighed. Now what?

I wandered outside and spotted Teddy and Vic. What were they doing here?

"Hey," I called, waving at them.

"Dom!" Vic exclaimed, running toward me, a huge smile on her face.

What the hell?

"Look!" she nearly shouted, shoving her left hand in my face. There was a diamond ring glistening on her finger.

"Wow," I said. "That's great."

Teddy came up behind her, placing his hand in the small of her back. She smiled up at him adoringly.

"Hey, Teddy," I said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," he replied.

"When's the wedding?" I asked.

"August," said Vic. "I know that's only four months from now, but I want it to happen when everyone is out of school. I don't want to wait until Christmas or next summer though. I'm too excited!" She looked around widely. "Where's Louis? I want to tell him the news."

She spotted him a minute later and took off in his direction. I turned to Teddy. "So," I said. "We're finally going to be brother and sister."

He grinned at me. "Yup."

A few minutes later, Vic came hurrying back over. "By the way, Dom," she said. "You're going to be my maid of honor."

"Me?" I asked, surprised. "What about Roxanne? She's your best friend."

"You're my sister," she said. "People will expect you to be."

"Oh," I replied coolly."'Now I get it. It's all about appearances. You don't _really_ want me to be your maid of honor."

Teddy cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well," he said, "we better get going. We still have to hunt down all those cousins of yours and tell them the news." He grabbed Vic's hand. "Come on, love." They began to walk away. "See you later, Dom," he called over his shoulder. "Good luck on your N.E.W.T.s."

Louis came walking over.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he replied, squirming slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I've been thinking that I finally want to tell the school that I'm gay," he said. "I can't keep this a secret anymore."

My eyes widened. "Really?" I asked. "Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "As sure as I'm ever going to be. I just want to do it before I talk myself out of it again."

I looked around at the crowds of Hogwarts students, hurrying from shop to shop, loaded down with bags of sweets from Honeydukes, laughing and talking loudly.

"Who are you going to tell?"

He pointed to a group of three girls standing outside Gladrags Wizardwear. "Them," he said. "They're in my year and all I ever hear them do is gossip. They'll definitely get the message to everyone."

I started to laugh.

"What?" he asked.

"This just seems completely ridiculous."

He shrugged. "Yeah, it does. But I don't know how else to do it."

"But are you sure you even want to. You can wait, you know."

"I've waited nearly three years. I don't want to hide anymore."

I nodded. "Alright, then. Good luck."

He just stood there for a moment, staring at the girls. But then he squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and set off toward them with a determined look on his face.

The three girls stopped whispering when they saw him sauntering toward them. Their eyes widened and their faces broke out into huge smiles. He might have been a completely anti-social slacker, but somehow Louis Weasley still managed to charm girls just by existing. While most guys his age were still going through a slightly awkward stage, complete with acne and bad hair, Louis somehow managed, at barely 15 years old, to be (according to the girls I'd overheard in the bathroom) one of the best looking guys in the school, with bright blue eyes and a brooding expression that would put James Dean to shame.

The girls looked on eagerly as he made his way over to them, as if hoping that he had decided to profess his love to one of them and whisk her away into the sunset to live happily ever after. It was too bad that he was about to shatter all their fantasies with just a few simple words.

I watched as he began talking to them. Their smiles slowly faded, but they still nodded energetically and immediately took off after he'd finished talking to spread the news to everyone. Apparently they were still eager to please him despite his sexual orientation.

Louis came walking back over. "Well," he said. "Now I just have to wait. Hopefully I don't get hexed too much after this. I don't fancy spending the rest of the year in the hospital wing."

"You'll be fine, kid," I said, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "Who knows, maybe some other closeted gay kid will take this as an opportunity to also come out and the two of you will fall madly in love."

He chuckled. "Maybe."

I spotted Vic and Teddy talking to Rose and Albus. Vic was practically jumping up and down with excitement, waving her left hand around. Teddy looked on with amusement.

"They're really happy together, aren't they?" I murmured.

"Definitely," replied Louis. "If I ever find a guy who looks at me the way Teddy looks at Vic, I'm staying with him forever. That's true love, right there."

I watched as Teddy wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled in closer to him. "Yeah," I murmured. "True love."

I wondered if I had a 'true love' out there somewhere. Was it Dylan? Or was it someone else?

I sighed. Love was really freaking complicated.

* * *

><p><em>I've been really lacking the motivation to write this story lately, so I hope this chapter wasn't completely terrible. <em>

_The next chapter will be Vic's wedding. Those of you who read 'Pregnant at Seventeen' know what that means for Dom... _

_Sorry to plug my other stories again, but I wrote the first chapter of a Draco/Astoria fic called 'Heal Me' that I would love for you to check out._


	25. Chapter 25

When I graduated from Hogwarts and returned home, all anyone could talk about was Vic's wedding. All I heard 24/7 was "blah, blah, blah, flowers" and "yada, yada, yada, cake." I couldn't wait for Dylan to arrive to distract me from all this ridiculous wedding planning. Of course, if he didn't come soon, I would be forced to Avada myself. There was no way I could try on another bridesmaid dress _and _keep my sanity. It would be utterly impossible.

When I finally spotted him standing on the beach a week after I'd returned home, I immediately felt a massive swarm of butterflies zooming around in my stomach. I'd missed him more than I thought possible, but seeming reminded me of last summer and just how close we'd gotten to shagging. Now that he was back, would we finish what we started? Was this summer I would lose my virginity.

"_Hell yeah, it is!"_ shouted an imaginary Timothy Nott in my head.

I took a deep breath and started running in his direction. "Dylan!" I shouted.

He turned around right before I crashed into him. His arms immediately wrapped around my waist and we stumbled back a couple feet before he was able to catch his balance.

We stood there for a moment, not saying anything. I felt his hands pressed against the skin of the back, in the spot between the bottom of my tank top and the top of my jean shorts. Merlin, I'd missed how it felt when he touched me. My entire body tingled as one of his hands dipped under the waistband of my shorts.

But then, out of nowhere, he dropped his arms and quickly took a step back. "Shit," I heard him mumble under his breath.

I stared at him. Where the hell did he think he was going? He hadn't even kissed me yet.

He ran his hands through his hair and looked down at the ground, as if avoiding making eye contact with me.

"Dylan—" I began.

"Dom," he said, cutting me off. "We need to talk."

I froze. There was something about the tone of his voice that told me that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"About what?" I asked uncertainly.

"I…I have a girlfriend," he muttered.

For a second my heart stopped. "What?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen," he said.

"Then why did it?" I asked, not sure how my mouth was even forming words.

"I just…it's hard, you know, being so far away from you for most of the year. And you don't have a phone or a computer, so I never even get to hear your voice or see your face."

"I wrote to you," I mumbled, willing myself not to cry.

"Yeah, well, sometimes that's not enough."

"I'm a witch!" I snapped. "What do you expect?"

He didn't say anything; he just kept staring at the ground.

"Look at me!" I snarled.

He lifted his head, his brown eyes immediately finding mine. He stared at me, with that intense gaze I knew all too well.

"Dom…" he said.

I dug my nails into the palm of my hand. _Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry._ But it was getting harder and harder not to. Because he said my name the same way he always had. The same way he had before he would wrap his arm around my shoulders or brush a lock of hair out of my face or kiss me.

"Why didn't you at least write to me and tell me?" I asked. "I had the right to know."

"I tried," he said. "But none of the letters came out right. I thought it would be better to tell you in person."

I laughed bitterly. "You thought it would be better to tell me in person? Why? So you could see my face when you told that while I was missing you, you were fucking some other girl?"

"Jesus, Dom!" he shouted. "You think this is easy for me? You think I like seeing you upset?"

"Well, it's not like you seem to care too much about my feelings!" I snapped.

"That's not true!"

A lady walking her dog stopped and stared at us. I guessed we weren't exactly keeping out voices down. I glared at her and she quickly hurried away.

"This is because I wouldn't have sex with you, isn't it?" The words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"I—what?" He looked completely caught off guard.

"I'm right, aren't I?" I asked. "You didn't want to stick around because I wasn't putting out for you. So you found some girl who would. It's always just about sex for you, isn't it."

"I've spent every summer with you since we were 13 years old," he said. "Do you really think that after all this time, all I wanted from you was sex?"

I sighed. "I don't know."

"Of course it wasn't, Dom. Why would you even think that?"

"Well, let me see," I said, unable to hide the sarcasm in my voice. "Maybe it's because you never even said you loved me, but still expected me to shag you. Maybe it's because when I didn't, you left and found some girl who would."

His eyebrows shot up. "You think that I don't love you? Of course I love you!"

I tried to ignore the way my heart sped up when I realized that his words were in the present tense.

"Then why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I was scared! I'd never told a girl that I loved her before."

"But if you did love me, then why did you run off and get a girlfriend?"

"Because," he said, "Amber's amazing. I really, really like her a lot. And she lives in my town and we're going to the same college in the fall. It's just so much easier being able to be with someone who's not on the other side of an ocean most of the year."

I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Dom," he said, reaching out to brush a tear from my face. "Don't cry. I'm sorry."

I smacked his hand away. "Don't," I said sharply. "You're not allowed to touch me anymore."

He stood there for a minute, looking shocked. This annoyed me. Did he really think that he could tell me he had a girlfriend and then wipe the tears off my face?

I watched as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and stuck it his mouth. He fumbled with his lighter for a minute before he was finally able to light it. Maybe I was making him nervous. Maybe he felt guilty. _He should, _I thought angrily. _He should feel guilty. _

"I have to go," I said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" he called after me.

I spun around. "What?"

"We can still be friends," he said, giving me a hopeful look.

I thought about the way he touched me when I'd crashed into him earlier, running his hands all over my back and my bum. What the hell was his problem? Did he think that he could keep his little girlfriend and be allowed to feel me up whenever he wanted?

"No, Dylan," I said. "We can't."

"We were friends before," he said.

"Yeah," I said_. "Before._ We were friends _before_ we spent all of last summer making out. We were friends _before _I almost gave you my virginity. We were friends_ before_ I decided that I loved you. But I can't be your friend now. I'm sorry."

He took a long drag of his cigarette before dropping it, grinding it into the sand with his shoe. "Bye, Dom," he said quietly.

"Bye, Dylan," I said.

Then I turned and began to walk away. I told myself not to turn around and get one last glance of him over my shoulder. If I did, one of two things was bound to happen. I would either hex him into oblivion, or I would go running back to him and beg him to take me back, beg him to dump his stupid, slutty girlfriend named Amber, beg him to kiss me, to love me, to never leave me again.

So I didn't turn around. Because I couldn't do either of those things. No matter how much I may have wanted to, I couldn't.

By the time I got home, tears were running down my face again. I quickly wiped them away, not wanting anyone to see me crying. I stepped inside the house. "Mum!" I called.

She stepped out of the kitchen. "What, darling?"

"I need to talk to you about something," I said.

"About what?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looking at me expectantly.

"Dylan," I said, but I don't think she heard me. Because right at that moment, Vic appeared, looking frantic.

"Mum," she said. "I'm having a wedding dress crisis. You've got to come to the shop right now!"

Mum turned and looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Dom. We'll talk later, alright?"

"Yeah, sure," I said quietly. "Later."

I spent all of July and most of August sitting around the house, reading or helping with wedding preparations. I felt like I didn't know what I was supposed to do with myself. I hadn't spent a summer without Dylan in five years.

A week before the wedding, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to concentrate on the words in my book, when I heard someone clear their throat.

I glanced up and found myself looking straight into Vic's face. She was standing less than a foot away from me.

I let out a yelp, my book slipping out of my hands in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Go put on your bridesmaid's dress."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Because I want to make sure it still fits!"

The wedding was turning Vic into a crazy person. Or at least, a crazier person than she had been before.

"It fit two weeks ago when you made me try it on in the shop. Why wouldn't it fit now?"

"I don't know," she said. "You could have gained some weight since then."

"You really think that I could have put on so much weight in the past two weeks that my dress wouldn't fit anymore?"I asked, rolling my eyes. "I'm not you, you know. I haven't run off and gotten pregnant."

She glared at me, her blue eyes narrowed. "Why do you always do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Make me sound like some girl who lives in a trailer with five kids from five different fathers. You always act like I'm the biggest whore in the universe. But, I'm really not. I've been with two guys in my life. Colin and Teddy."

"I don't why you act like the idea of you being pregnant is so ridiculous anyway," she continued when I didn't respond. "It can happen even when you think you're being safe."

"Hmm," I said, pretending to think. "Maybe it's because I've never had sex."

This seemed to catch her off guard. "Not even with Dylan?"

I shook my head. "I almost did last summer, but I realized I wasn't ready."

"What about this summer?"

Once again, she was showing just how little attention she paid to my life.

"He has a girlfriend," I said.

"I thought you were his girlfriend," she asked, a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, well, I kind of did too. But I guess not."

"Well," she said. "I still need you to go put on the dress."

I sighed, slamming my book shut. "Merlin's beard, Vic."

"You could have _lost_ some weight," she said. "Mum says you haven't been eating much lately."

"I'm going for a walk," I said. "I'll try it one when I get back."

Once I was outside, I headed into town. I wasn't sure what I was going to once I got there; I just knew I needed to get out of the house, away from Vic, away from all the wedding plans, away from everything.

Of course, getting away from everything was apparently not as easy as I had hoped. Because as I turned a corner, I spotted Dylan standing a few shops down, leaning against a wall, his phone to his ear.

"I know, baby, I miss you too," he was saying. "But I'll be coming home soon."

He paused for a moment, as the person on the other end (presumably Amber) said something. "Yeah," he replied. "I got the picture you sent."

I started to back away, not wanting to hear any more of their conversation, but before I could get anywhere he looked up and saw me.

"Dom—" he started to say.

But I didn't wait around to hear what he had to say. I just turned and ran.

The day of the wedding arrived quickly. It took place at the Burrow, in the yard. I expected Vic to be even worse than usual that morning, running around hysterically, ordering everyone around. But instead she seemed strangely calm, like she finally realized that the wedding didn't have to be perfect. Because in the long run, a wedding is just a wedding. The marriage is what matters. The marriage is what lasts forever.

I stood up in front of everyone, in the long blue dress Vic had picked out (which fit just fine). When Vic came walking down the aisle, everyone seemed to let out an audible gasp in unison. Not that I could blame them; she was beautiful. And she looked happier than I'd ever seen her look before. She didn't take her eyes off Teddy. When I glanced over at him, he was also staring at her, his eyes wide, a huge smile on his face.

Louis's words echoed in my mind.

_That's true love, right there._

Before I could stop it, an image of Dylan popped into my mind. I closed my eyes, willing him to disappear. He was_ not_ my true love. He had chosen someone else.

I opened my eyes and watched as Teddy and Vic said their vows and were bonded together for life.

Later, at the reception, I was sitting alone at a table, watching everyone else dance. No matter how much I wished it wouldn't, the image of Dylan kept swimming through my mind. I wished he was here. I wished I was dancing with him, out there with everyone else, wrapped in his arms. I sighed and took another sip of firewhiskey. It burned my throat, but I didn't care. Because the more of it I drank, the blurrier Dylan's face became in my head.

I heard someone clear their throat and I looked up. It was a friend of Teddy's. His name was Robert and he had been one of the groomsmen.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing sitting all by herself," he said, stumbling into a chair across from me. He was drunk, that much was obvious.

I drained the last of my firewhiskey and smiled at him. He wasn't particularly good-looking, but he was here and he was paying attention to me. And that was more than I could say about Dylan.

"Don't feel like dancing," I said, slightly surprised when my word slurred together. How many firewhiskeys had I drunk so far?

"I saw your dress catch on fire earlier," he said, giving me a smile that, had I not had so much to drink, would have struck me as creepy. But instead, it just made me feel flattered. It felt nice to have a guy smile at me. Even if the guy was 23-year-old drunk guy at my sister's wedding.

"Yeah," I said, giggling. "My cousins James and Albus set it on fire. They thought they were being funny."

"You put it out really quickly though," he said. "You're obviously very _talented_."

I giggled again, though I wasn't sure why.

He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out his wand. I watched as he gave it a flick and two bottles of firewhiskey came flying over. He handed one to me.

"Thanks," I said, removing the cap and taking a big gulp.

A few firewhiskeys later, I found myself leaning in closer to him, laughing at something he'd said. It hadn't been funny, but I was too drunk to care. His eyes zeroed in on my chest and he smirked. I should have pulled away then. But I didn't. Instead I just leaned farther in, giving him the perfect view down the front my dress.

"Nice," he murmured appreciatively.

"Let's get out of here," I found myself saying.

A few minutes later, we were inside my grandparents' broom shed. I was pressed up against the wall, my dress bunched up around my waist, and I was snogging Robert. A guy I barely knew.

I heard the door creek open and I opened my eyes. Vic was standing there, her hands on her hips, with an expression on her face that reminded me a lot of my mother's when she was angry.

"What the hell are you doing?" she shrieked, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out of the shed.

"Let go," I hissed, trying to pull myself out of her grip. But I couldn't; she was holding on too tightly.

"You're drunk," she said.

"So?" I snapped. "I'm 18. I can do whatever the hell I want."

"He's 23," she said. "For god's sake, Dom, I thought you were supposed to be the sensible one."

"Whatever," I said.

"I better not find you anywhere near him again," she snarled. "Or you can be sure that there will be hell to pay."

"You can't tell me what to do!" I shouted. "You're not my mother!"

"You're right, but I am you're older sister."

"So? You've never given a shit about me before! Why are you trying to start now?" I gave a final tug and broke loose from her grip.

"Vic!" someone called. "What are you doing over there? Come dance!"

She shot me one final look over her shoulders. "Don't go near him again, Dom."

I swayed slightly, watching her go. _Oh yeah,_ I thought. _Watch me._

I turned and stumbled back into the shed. Robert was leaning up against the wall, clutching a bottle of firewhiskey. He smirked when he saw me. "Back already?"

"Couldn't stay away," I said, grabbing the bottle from him and taking a huge swig. If I was going to do this, then I wanted to be as drunk as possible.

A few minutes later, I was once against pressed up against the wall of the shed.

"You're of age, right?" he whispered in my ear. "I don't want to anything illegal."

I nodded.

"Good," he replied.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back; Dylan's face immediately appearing in my mind. This time I didn't try to get rid of the image. I wanted it there.

I wanted it there so I could pretend the guy who I was about to shag up against the wall of my grandparents' broom shed was actually someone I loved. Someone with dark brown hair and brown eyes and a lopsided grin. Someone who loved me.

* * *

><p><em>Please, please review! Don't make me write another song!<em>


	26. Chapter 26

When I woke up the next morning, I was immediately blinded by the bright sunlight that was streaming in the window.

Something seemed off about this, but I couldn't figure out what. So I buried my head in my pillow and hoped that when I woke back up, the pounding in my head would be gone.

About a minute later, it hit me: I did not have a window in that particular location in my room.

Which could only mean one thing.

This was not my room.

Suddenly all the details I'd managed to miss before became extremely obvious.

The sheets I was wrapped in were not mine. Instead of the purple striped ones that were on my bed, they were plain white.

Even worse, underneath these plain white sheets, I was naked. _Naked!_

And perhaps worst of all, I was laying next to some guy. Some guy who was also naked. I nearly screamed when I rolled over and realized he was there. Who the hell was he? I couldn't even tell. He was facing away from me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain in my head that only seemed to be growing worse, and concentrated as hard as I could on what had happened last night.

Slowly the details started coming back.

It had been Vic's wedding.

I had been very drunk.

I had been talking to Robert, Teddy's groomsman.

Robert.

That's who was lying next to me.

I had sex with him.

I had sex with him in my grandparents' broom shed.

Then apparently I ended up here, in his flat, and had sex with him some more.

I slowly sat up, untangling myself from the sheets, and looked around. My clothes. I needed my clothes. The bed creaked. I winced, glancing over at Robert, praying that he hadn't woken up. I had no idea what I would say to him. Maybe I'd been comfortable enough with him last night when I'd been drunk off my ass, but now that I was sober (and extremely hungover) this comfort was gone. Now he was just a stranger.

Of course, as my luck would have it, he _had_ woken up. His eyes were open and he staring straight at me.

I quickly pulled the covers up over my body. Which was probably ridiculous, considering he'd already seen everything the night before.

"Good morning, Robert," I mumbled. I could feel my face heating up. This was so embarrassing.

"Good morning…" He trailed off for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together in a look of extreme concentration. Then his face lit up. "Dom," he said, looking pleased with himself. "Good morning, Dom."

He'd been trying to remember my name.

I'd slept with a guy who couldn't even remember my name.

"I need to get out of here," I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "This was a mistake."

I kept the sheet tightly around my body as I looked around for my clothes. I spotted my bridesmaid's dress crumpled in the corner. Before I could take a step toward it, I felt a hand clamp around my wrist. I turned around, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

"What are you doing?" I snapped. "Let go!"

"Where are you going?" Robert asked.

"Home," I said, yanking my arm from his grip.

"Well, before you go, you should drink this." He grabbed a small bottle off the table beside his bed and handed it to me.

I looked at it uncertainly. It was filled with a blue potion that I didn't recognize. Was he trying to drug me or something?

"What is it?" I asked.

He laughed. "Aw, Dom, don't tell me that you've never had hangover potion before."

I pulled myself up to my full height and tried to look as dignified as I possibly could while wrapped in a sheet. "No, I haven't. Last night was the first time I've ever been drunk and I'm not ashamed to admit it."

He smirked at me. "Getting drunk wasn't the only thing that you did for the first time last night…"

This guy was a jackass. I couldn't believe that I slept with him. Of all the people I could have given my virginity to, I chose this idiot.

I felt sick to my stomach. Unscrewing the cap of the bottle, I took a small sip. Almost immediately the throbbing in my head began to disappear.

"Wow, this stuff actually works, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," said Robert, stretching his arms over his head. "It's almost like _magic_."

He pushed aside his blanket and stood up. I immediately looked away, blushing.

"Relax, Dom," he said, grabbing the potion from me and taking a large sip. "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"I really should be going," I said, grabbing my dress and hurriedly slipping it on. Now I just needed to find my underwear and my shoes…

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked, slipping on his boxers.

"None of your business," I said, as I spotted them both on the other side of the room.

"Because I'm not busy," he continued, as if I hadn't spoken. "So we could have a repeat of last night if you want."

"No, thank you," I said, turning toward the door. "You're not really my type. This was all just a big mistake."

"Who_ is_ your type?" he asked. "Dylan?"

I whirled around to face him. He was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed, smirking at me.

"How do you know about Dylan?" I asked.

"You kept saying his name in your sleep last night," Robert replied. "So who is he?"

"He's nobody," I snapped. "He's just a guy I know. Just some idiot who has a girlfriend and who means absolutely nothing to me."

Why did he have to bring up Dylan? I hadn't thought about him since I'd woken up. But now, I couldn't _stop_ thinking about him. His face. His laugh. The way his arms felt wrapped around my waist. The way his lips felt pressed against mine.

_No, _I thought, mentally slapping myself. _Stop it! _I had tostop thinking about him. It had been two months since I'd found about his girlfriend. Two months since I found out that he had chosen someone over me. Two months since I had found out that he didn't want me anymore. _He didn't want me. He didn't want me. He didn't want me._

Robert was still staring at me. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I… I was," I said. I took a step toward the door and then stopped and turned around. "I'm not busy tonight," I told him.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Nope," I said. "So maybe I'll stop by."

"Cool," he said. "See ya, Dom."

I quickly Disapparated straight to my bedroom. I flopped down on my bed, not bothering to remove my dress. I prayed that my parents hadn't noticed that I hadn't come home the night before. Perhaps they'd tried to find me at the Burrow when they were ready to leave and when they couldn't, had just come home and fallen asleep.

I sighed heavily, my thoughts returning to Robert. Did I really want to meet up with him tonight? I barely knew him. And from the little I did know, I wasn't exactly impressed. He seemed to be a bit of a jerk. Why would I want to spend any more time with him?

And yet, maybe it would be for the best. I needed to get my mind off Dylan. Badly. I'd been thinking about him the entire summer, moping around my house, wishing he would show up at the door, begging me to take him back. I didn't want to do that anymore. He'd chosen someone else. He's moved on. Now it was my turn to move on. And while I didn't particularly like Robert all that much, he was pretty much my only option. I didn't exactly have guys lining up outside my door, begging me to date them.

_Well, then it's settled_, I thought. _I'll meet up with Robert tonight._

Of course, I knew that 'meet up with Robert' actually just meant 'show up at his flat and have sex with him'. This scared me a bit. I knew that I already had, but I didn't remember much of it. It was all a giant blur.

Before I could start doubting my decision, there was a loud knock on my door. It swung open before I even had a chance to react. It was my mum, looking furious.

"Hey, Mum," I murmured, trying to rearrange my face to look as innocent as possible.

She didn't move from her place in the doorway. She just stood there glaring at me, her hands on her hips. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she was still in her nightgown. Yet she still managed to look threatening. _Very threatening._

The minutes felt like hours as I waited for her to say something. Yelling would be better than this silence.

"Your bed was empty zis morning," she finally said. Her French accent was stronger than usual. That could only mean one thing: She was _angry._ With a capital A.

"Yeah," I muttered.

"I immediately Appararated to the Burrow to see if you'd spent the night zere, but you 'adn't," she continued. "Do you know 'ow worried I was? I 'ad no idea where you were!"

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

Mum froze, her eyes flashing. "You zink zis is funny?" Her voice was low, dangerous. I had crossed into dangerous territory. I knew the smart thing to do would be to back down, to apologize. But I hadn't been making smart decisions recently and this was no exception.

"I just think it's funny that you're choosing now to pretend you give a shit about me," I replied. "When have you ever bothered to be worried about me before? You're always too busy being worried about Victoire. She is your favorite after all."

"You really zink zat?" she said. Her expression seemed to have shifted from angry to sad in a matter of seconds. "You really zink zat Victoire is my favorite?"

"Isn't she?"

"Of course not," Mum snapped. "I don't 'ave a favorite."

"Well, you could have fooled me. And Louis, for that matter. It's always Vic this and Vic that."

Mum leaned against the doorframe, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry you feel zat way, darling," she murmured. "I never meant for zat to 'appen. If it did, it was only because Vic… well, she was always the one your father and I had problems with. She was ze one that needed to be worried about the most. Running around with Colin. Getting pregnant. Raising a child at such a young age. You were always so well-behaved. You seemed to do so well on your own. Vic is so dramatic, always vocalizing what's on 'er mind. You're not like zat. I just never zought zat you needed all the attention that Vic did. I'm sorry, though. Perhaps you did after all."

For some reason, everything she said just made me angrier. She hadn't thought I needed as much attention as Vic? She hadn't thought Louis needed as much attention? Was she kidding me? Just because Louis and I weren't vocal about our problems, she thought we didn't have them?

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe I did need that attention. Maybe if you'd been around after Dylan broke my heart, I wouldn't have felt the need to deal with it by getting as drunk as possible and fucking a 23-year-old."

Her mouth dropped open. "Is zat where you were?"

"Yup," I said. "I was with Teddy's friend, Robert. I'm actually going to meet again tonight."

"What makes you zink zat I'll allow zat?"

I laughed bitterly. "You're kidding, right? When Vic was my age, you let her _live_ with Colin."

"They were raising a child together," said Mum, as if that settled the matter.

"Whatever," I said. "I'm an adult now, Mum. I can date whoever I want and you can't stop me."

"While you live under my roof, you will abide my rules, Dominique."

"So you're saying I'm not allowed to date until I move out?"

She sighed heavily. "You know what?" she said. "If you want to see zis boy, fine. But don't be surprised when 'e breaks your 'eart just like Dylan did."

That was the good thing about being with someone I didn't actually care that much about. It would be much harder to get my heart broken.

"I doubt that will happen," I said.

She looked at me sadly. "Well, I 'ope it doesn't, Dominique. I truly hope it doesn't."

She turned to leave, but at the least second, she stuck her head back in the room. "If you ever want to talk about… what 'appened last night, you can always come to me, darling. I know losing your virginity is a very big deal."

I gave her a stiff smile. "Yeah, okay." I doubted I'd ever take her up on her offer though.

That evening, I Apparated to Robert's flat. I stood outside his door, my hand hovering in the air, curled into a fist, trying to work up the courage to knock. This was so stupid. Why was I here? I knew nothing about this guy. I didn't even know his last name.

I quickly shoved all those thoughts out of mind. It was good that I didn't know him. It was good that I barely felt anything toward him. He wouldn't be able to hurt me like Dylan had. But he would be able to make me forget about Dylan. And that was important. I _needed_ to forget.

So, with all that in mind, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, it swung open and there he was. Robert.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he echoed.

"You gonna let me in?"

He stepped back from the doorway, opening the door a little wider. I took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.

A few weeks later, I woke up in his bed. By then, it was nothing new. I no longer freaked out, wondering where I was. I got dressed and headed into the kitchen. Robert was sitting at the kitchen table, cup of coffee in hand, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Good morning," I said, pouring myself a cup and sitting down across from him.

He grunted in reply, not looking up from the paper. We didn't talk much. Our relationship was purely physical. Nothing serious. Just a bit of fun to keep my mind off… a certain person.

I finished the coffee and stood up. I never stuck around for long in the morning. He didn't have any interest in talking to me and vice versa.

"Are you busy tonight?" I asked.

"Actually, yes," he replied, his eyes still glued to the paper.

"With a girl?" I asked.

He finally looked up. "So what if it is a girl? I told you before, this thing we have going on… it's nothing serious. I thought you knew that."

"I do know that," I snapped, annoyed that he was talking to me like I was a jealous girlfriend. I was_ not _a jealous girlfriend. I couldn't care less what he did with his time and he couldn't care less what I did with mine. And that was why I liked 'this thing we had going on'. It was easy. It was, as he said, nothing serious. So why did knowing that he had plans with another girl upset me so much?

"What about tomorrow night?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Tomorrow night."

The next day, I was wandering around town, when I ran into Dylan's grandmother. We didn't have much of a conversation, just exchanged pleasantries, talked a little about the weather. But then, just as I was about to excuse myself and walk away, she mentioned _him._

"Dylan's doing great Ohio State. Really settling in. He's a brilliant boy. And that girlfriend of his is really helping him too, I think. She's a very driven girl, that one. Dylan tells me that her goal is to become the first female President of the United States." She laughed. "And I wouldn't be surprised if she does."

My mouth felt dry. It was September, but it was warmer than it usually was, as if the weather hadn't gotten the memo that August was over and it was time to start cooling down. And suddenly, the temperature seemed to have spiked even more.

"I really need to be going," I told her. "I have somewhere to be." This wasn't actually true. It was only about three, much too early for me to go over to Robert's.

_Whatever_, I thought, as I ducked into and alley. _Desperate situations call for desperate measures. _

This was definitely a desperate situation. I had not needed to hear those things about Dylan. And I especially had not needed to hear those things about Amber. In my mind, she had been some dumb floozy. She was not supposed to be some intelligent, driven girl who wanted a career in politics. I needed to get my mind off all of this immediately.

I quickly Apparated to Robert's flat. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I pulledout my wand. "Alohomora." The lock clicked and I pushed the door open, surprised that it had worked. Most wizards and witches made it so that such a simple spell wouldn't actually unlock their doors. But Robert had never struck me as the brightest, so I supposed the thought had never occurred to him.

I took a step inside and heard voices coming from his bedroom. I headed in that direction and peered inside. He was in there, perched on the edge of his bed, talking to a girl. I figured she had to be the girl he was talking about yesterday. I hadn't forgotten about her, but I had assumed that she would be gone by this late in the afternoon. I was always gone by noon. The girl stood up, grabbing her bag, kissed him and then Disapparated.

I stepped inside the room and cleared my throat.

He let out a small yelp. "Shit, Dom. You scared me. Ever heard of knocking?"

"I did knock. You didn't answer."

"I was busy."

"I noticed."

I wasn't sure why I was so annoyed. He had every right to have any girl in his bedroom he pleased. There was nothing exclusive about our relationship. He was certainly not my boyfriend. But there was something about the whole thing that made me feel slightly sick to my stomach. I thought this whole thing would be easy. That I wouldn't get hurt. But maybe I'd been wrong. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all. Why would I want to be reminded every day that I couldn't find a guy who actually wanted to be with me? Not Dylan. Not Robert. Not anybody.

"I need a drink," I murmured. Dylan's grandmother's words were echoing in my head and I wanted them gone.

A few firewhiskeys later, I was in bed with Robert. Apparently my earlier doubts about continuing to see him had been washed away by the alcohol. _Who cares f he was with another girl? _I thought, in my alcohol-induced hazed. _He doesn't mean anything to me anyway. He's just a way to forget._

_Forget._

_Forget._

_Forget._

Why couldn't I seem to forget?

I woke up in the middle of the night. Grabbing a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey from the nightstand beside his bed, I stumbled into the bathroom, wrapped only in a blanket. I took a big gulp, draining the last of it. I stood there for a moment, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was bedraggled mess. There were dark circles under my bloodshot eyes. I hardly recognized myself.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea passed over me and I knelt down, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. After I was finished, I curled up in a ball on the floor. I knew that I should go back to his room, but I didn't want to—couldn't—move. The room was spinning, like it used to when I was a little girl and would spin around in circles until I fell down. The bathroom tiles felt cool against my cheek, as I pulled the blanket tighter around me. Slowly everything faded to black around me.

When I woke up, there was sunlight streaming in from the window. I heard voices coming from outside the bathroom.

"… I come here to get the jacket I left a few days ago and I find this?" The voice was male and it sounded pissed.

"Come on, Teddy. It's not that big of a deal."

Teddy. The voice belonged to Teddy Lupin.

"Not that big of a deal? My sister-in-law is passed out on your bathroom floor in only a blanket. How is that not a big deal? How long as she been there anyway? All night?"

"I dunno. I found her this morning."

"I can't believe this," said Teddy. "I cannot fucking believe this." He sounded angrier than I'd ever heard him before.

"Teddy…"

"I mean, I was pissed when I heard about what happened at my wedding, don't get me wrong. But now I'm like beyond pissed. "

"How is this even my fault? What am I supposed to do? Monitor how much she drinks? She's not my problem, Teddy. She's just some girl."

Teddy didn't say anything. All I heard was Robert let out a howl of pain. "Shit, Lupin! I think you broke my nose."

"Get some clothes on her. I'm taking her home," said Teddy.

I heard footsteps, someone swearing under their breath. But I don't know what happened next because, once again, the world faded to black.

* * *

><p><em>Poor Dom. She's a mess.<em>

_So how many of you are fans of A Very Potter Musical? I was just rewatching it and I thought I'd ask._


	27. Chapter 27

When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on the couch in my living room. Teddy was perched on the edge, staring at me, a concerned expression his face.

"Hey," he said, when he noticed that I was awake. "How are you?"

I sat up slightly, rubbing my eyes. "Fine," I murmured.

Teddy handed me a small bottle filled with a blue liquid. "Thought you might need this."

I quickly took a large sip of the hangover potion. "Thanks," I murmured as my head began to clear.

We were quiet for a moment. I twisted my hair around my finger. Teddy stared at his feet.

"Teddy?" I finally said.

"Mmm?"

"Is my mum here?" I knew that my dad would be at work and Louis was at Hogwarts, but I wasn't sure of my mum's whereabouts. I hoped she wasn't here. I didn't want her to see me like this.

He shook his head. "No," he replied. "It's just us."

I nodded, relieved. "Teddy?" I said again.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for, you know…getting me out of there."

"Well, it's not like I was going to leave you lying unconscious on Robert's bathroom floor."

"I woke up for a bit. I heard you punch him in the nose." I sat up even more, so that my back was resting against the arm of the couch. I pulled my knees up against my chest.

"He deserved it," replied Teddy, leaning back. "He's one of best mates, but I'm not going to let him get away with saying that kind of stuff about you. You're my sister now, after all."

I smiled a little.

"You're not going to see him again anymore, are you?" he asked. "Please tell me you aren't. You deserve someone who would actually be concerned if they found you passed out in their bathroom."

"No," I said. "I think I'm done with him now. I thought our 'relationship' would be a good thing. No strings attached. No way to get my heart broken. But it wasn't really turning out that way. Because he was_ another_ guy who didn't want to be with me. And that's not a good feeling."

"You deserve so much better," said Teddy. When I didn't say anything in reply, he added, "Vic's been really worried about you."

I snorted. "You don't have to lie to me, Teddy."

He frowned. "I'm not lying," he said. "Of course she's been concerned. She's your sister." He paused. "Why do you always sound so pissed off when you talk about her?"

I just shrugged, not wanting to get into it.

"She hardly ever says anything bad about you. The only time I ever remembering her being angry at you was a couple of years ago when you called her selfish. Other than that, she always has good things to say about you."

I laughed bitterly. "I'm having a hard time believing that she says _anything_ about me, actually. Sometimes, I think that she forgets I even exist."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You're being a bit dramatic, don't you think? I thought that was Vic's job."

"Okay, I'll bite," I said. "What are these 'good things' that she's said about me?"

"Well," he said. "On a couple of occasions she's said that she wished she looked more like you. She says you're the beautiful one."

Was she crazy? She was much more beautiful than me. Tall and thin. Like a model.

"She's always going on about how she wished she was as smart as you."

That settled it, she was definitely crazy. She was much smarter than me. I'd always been the type who had to study for hours, cramming as much information into my head as possible, in order to do well on a test. Vic, on the other hand, was just naturally smart. She managed to pass every single one of her N.E.W.T.s even though caring for a newborn baby had drastically cut into her studying time.

"After she found out about what happened with you and Dylan, she spent a week talking about how he was a complete idiot for choosing some else over you," Teddy said. "She said that he wouldn't know what was good for him if it hit him over the head."

This was starting to get be a little overwhelming. Had she really said all these things?

"And then," Teddy continued, "when we got back from our honeymoon last week and she found out that you had lost your virginity to Robert, she was devastated. She literally curled up in a ball on our bed and lay there, blaming herself. She kept saying that she should have been a better sister and that she should have talked to you more about boys and relationships. She said the whole thing was her fault."

I bit my lip, unsure of what I should say. I had honestly always thought that I was on the bottom of Vic's list of priorities, someone she only bothered with when it was convenient for her (like making me her maid of honor because it was 'expected'). She never really talked to me, always caught up in some drama involving Colin or Teddy or Jackie or one of her friends. She was the one who didn't bother to tell me she was having a girl after she had found out. She was the one who once went three and a half months without talking to me even though we were at the same school. I'd always figured that the resentment I felt toward her was justified. I'd figured that she returned the resentment.

But now I wasn't so sure.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a minute. Why did my head suddenly hurt again? I'd taken the hangover potion, hadn't I?

"Dom?" I heard Teddy say. "Are you alright?"

I slowly opened my eyes. "Yeah," I murmured. "Yeah, I just…have a lot on my mind."

He nodded sympathetically. "I bet."

"So how's the married life?" I asked, determined to change the subject.

His face immediately broke into a huge smile and I couldn't help but feel a bit sad. It was so obvious how much he loved her. Why couldn't I find a guy who would light up like that when I was mentioned?

"It's great," he replied. "I mean, some of it's not that different than before. We're living in the same flat, going about our lives in pretty much the same way as before. And yet, it's somehow more… permanent. Before, we were two people living together. But now, we're two people who are building a life together. Something that will last for the rest of our lives."

"Till death do you part," I murmured.

He nodded, looking thoughtful.

I sat there silently, watching him. I had a feeling that he wanted to say something. Something important.

"That phrase always makes me think of my parents," he finally said.

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "My mum followed my dad to Hogwarts to fight. Harry told me that she said she couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to him. She couldn't deal with the idea of being parted from him by death, so she went and died with him."

I took his hand in mine and squeezed it.

"I just… I don't get it. I never have. She left me. I was her son and I needed her. I was a baby."

"Teddy…"

"Aren't mothers supposed to have some sort of maternal instinct? Aren't they supposed to want to protect their children no matter what? How was she able to leave me so easily?"

"Maybe," I said, "leaving was her way of protecting you. She went off to fight in order to help make the world safe for you, to help make sure you'd never be put in the position she was."

He tilted his head to the side, as if considering what I'd said. "I never thought of it like that," he said. "I always assumed that she wasn't thinking about me when she did what she did, that she was only thinking about my dad. But maybe not. Maybe she was doing it for me."

"Sometimes we assume the worst about people," I said. "And we don't realize that they actually cared about us a lot more than we realized."

As I said the words, I realized that I was thinking about Vic. Teddy seemed to realize the same thing because he patted me on the shoulder and gave me a small smile. "You should talk to her," he said. "Vic, I mean."

"Yeah, maybe."

"I should go," he said, standing up. "Vic thought that I was just getting my jacket from Robert's place. She'll be wondering where I am."

I nodded. "Alright. See you later."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked before he left.

"Yeah," I said, not sure if the words were true or not. "Yeah. I'll be fine."

I had a job interview the next day at the Ministry. It was for a receptionist position. I had been dreading it, but I was looking forward to it. I had thought that I needed some guy to get my mind off Dylan and everything else, but maybe what I actually needed was a job.

So the next day, I pulled on my best dress robes and I headed to the Ministry of Magic. I stood in the Atrium and took it all in. Everywhere witches and wizards in all shapes, sizes, and colors bustled around. I heard snippets of conversation about everything from broomstick regulations to goblin control to meeting for lunch at the Ministry Munchies Café. For the first time since I had graduated, it struck me that I was an adult. Soon I would be a part of all this—the hustle and bustle of the real world.

I presented my wand at the security desk and then headed up to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on the second level where my job interview was taking place. I passed by the Auror offices and waved at my Uncle Harry. I pushed open a set of double doors and found myself in a small circular room—the reception area of Improper Use of Magic Office.

"Er, excuse me," I said to the witch sitting behind the large reception desk. "My name is Dominique Weasley. I'm here for a job interview."

The lady smiled up at me kindly. "Ah, yes," she said. "I forgot that they were starting to interview for my replacement today."

I noticed that she was heavily pregnant. "Are you going to be a stay-at-home mum?" I asked.

She nodded, her smile growing even wider. She certainly had that pregnancy glow that so many soon-to-be mothers seemed to have. She handed me a clipboard. "Fill this out," she directed me. "Mr. Dibbler will be with you shortly." I nodded and took a seat.

The interview went surprisingly well. I had a good feeling about it as I left the office. I made my way down the corridor of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement feeling quite pleased with myself.

"Dom!" I heard someone shout. I spun around, surprised. Standing a few feet away from me, his head poking out of a door marked 'Magical Law Enforcement Patrol', was Timothy Nott.

"Hey," I said, smiling.

He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I had a job interview," I replied. "In the Improper Use of Magic office. Hopefully, I'm going to be their next receptionist."

He grinned. "If you are, we'll be working in the same Department."

I rolled my eyes. "Great."

He ignored my sarcastic tone. "I was just heading to lunch. Care to join me?"

"Sure," I said, following him to the lift.

We headed down to the Atrium and ordered sandwiches at the café. The tables were all taken, so we perched on the edge of the fountain.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Well," I said. "Vic's wedding was last month. I was her maid-of-honor."

"Ah," he said. "A wedding. Was it an eventful wedding or one of the boring ones?"

I thought about Robert. "Pretty eventful," I said. "I, er… I actually lost my virginity at the reception. In my grandparents' broom shed. To a guy I barely knew."

Timothy chewed his sandwich for what felt like an exceptionally long time. "You know," he said, when he had finally swallowed. "I know I told you to lose your virginity. But I didn't really mean under those kinds of circumstances. Seems a bit… trashy. Especially for you."

"Gee, thanks, Nott," I said.

"I thought you had a boyfriend," he said. "Dylan, right?"

I stared down at my hands. "That… that didn't really work out."

"What happened?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and told him the entire story, starting with the day on the beach when Dylan told me about Amber and finishing with my last encounter with Robert.

"Wow," he said, after I had finished telling him about Teddy finding me on Robert's bathroom floor.

"I feel so stupid," I said. "I don't know what I was thinking. Robert didn't give a shit about me. I let him use me."

"You were upset."

"I know," I said. "But I overreacted. Dylan's just a guy. When I'm older, I probably look back on all this and wonder why I ever let him get to me like this."

"Maybe," said Timothy. "But what you did is understandable, Dom. You shouldn't feel stupid. This guy was your first love and he broke your heart. I'd be surprised if you didn't overreact."

I sniffed. "You know," I said. "You're a really good guy. It's a shame that you don't let more people see that."

Timothy opened his mouth to reply.

"Dom?" someone said, cutting him off.

I looked up. Ron Weasley was standing in front of us. "Hey, Uncle Ron," I said, smiling.

"Aren't you Theodore Nott's son?" he asked, looking straight at Timothy.

Timothy nodded. "Yes, sir."

Ron's eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at me. "Since when were you friends with a _Nott_?" he asked.

I cringed at the tone of his voice. It was so judgmental. "Uncle Ron," I said, "I know you didn't like Theodore Nott—"

"He's a dick," Timothy interjected. "Totally don't blame you."

"—but Timothy's different," I finished.

Ron eyed Timothy suspiciously. I'd seen something in his expression change when Timothy had insulted his father. "For your sake," he said to me. "I hope he is."

"Sorry about that," I said, after he had walked away. "My uncle still hasn't completely gotten over his childhood grudges. You should hear the way he talks about Draco Malfoy."

I thought about the last letter Louis had sent me. In it, he had mentioned something about Rose and Scorpius. _He can't keep his hands off her,_ he'd written. _She acts like it annoys her, but I can tell it doesn't. She acts differently around him then she used to. Less hostile. _I thought about how Ron would react if they started dating. Now that would be something to see.

"It's fine," said Timothy, shrugging. "I'm used to it."

I frowned. "That's terrible." I couldn't imagine what that would be like. To have people assume the worst about you just because of your name.

He shrugged again.

We sat there quietly for a few minutes, finishing our sandwiches.

"You know," he said, as he stood up. "I think that part of the reason that you can't seem to get over Dylan is the lack of closure."

"Lack of closure?" I asked.

"You ended things with an argument, right?"

I nodded.

"So maybe that's the problem," he said. "Maybe if talk to him and actually accept his apology, you'll feel better."

"He lives in America," I said. "How am I supposed to see him?"

"Airplane?"

"You expect me to fly all the way to Ohio just to talk to him?"

"I don't expect you to do anything, Dom. It's your life; you can do whatever the hell you want with it. I'm just making a suggestion."

"Do you really think it would help?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It could. Or maybe it'll just make everything worse. Who knows? I'm not a relationship counselor."

"If you're not sure, then why are you suggesting it?"

"Because you have to take risks in life sometimes, Dom. Or else you'll never get anywhere."

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><p><em>Don't forget to review!<em>


	28. Chapter 28

_What am I doing? _

_What the hell am I doing?_

I couldn't believe that I'd actually taken Timothy's advice. I'd bought a plane ticket. I'd gotten on a plane. I'd spent the entire plane ride clutching my arm rest in sheer terror and panicking whenever there was turbulence. I'd gotten off the plane and gotten into a cab. Then I'd gone to Dylan's house and asked his mother where I could find him.

And now I was standing outside the café that he worked in, wondering if I was insane. I could see him inside. He was wearing a green polo shirt and was standing behind the counter, taking people's orders. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I had to do this. It was now or never. I took a step forward and pushed open the door. A bell tinkled and Dylan looked up. He immediately froze, his brown eyes wide. He seemed to forget that he was midway through getting some lady's change out of the cash register. But then she cleared her throat impatiently and he snapped back to attention. "Sorry about that," I heard him say, as he handed her some muggle money. "Here's your change. Have a nice day."

After the lady had walked away, I approached the counter nervously. "Hey," I said.

He stared at me for a minute, not saying anything. I held his gaze, waiting for him to reply. I tried not to notice all the little details about him. Like the fact that his hair was shorter than it had been when I'd last seen him. Or that there were bags under his eyes from what was probably lack of sleep. Or that he looked like he hadn't shaved in at least a week. Or that his arms looked amazing in his polo shirt.

"I'm going on break," he shouted over his shoulder. I watched as he came out from behind the counter, motioning for me to follow him out the back door.

He leaned up against the wall of the building. "What are you doing here, Dom?" he asked.

"I needed to talk to you," I said quietly. "I don't like how we ended things on such a bad note."

"You're the one who said you didn't want to be friends with me, remember?" he said.

"I was angry," I replied. "Really angry, Dylan."

"I know," he said. "And you had every right to be. I handled everything so badly. I should have written to you. I'm such an idiot." He jammed his hands into his pockets, staring at the ground. "I'm really sorry, Dom."

"Dylan…"

He looked up at me, his brown eyes sad. He looked like a wounded puppy. I immediately forgot what I had been about to say. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and never let go.

"I, erm…" I trailed off, feeling slightly dizzy.

Merlin, he was gorgeous.

He seemed to realize that I had nothing to contribute to our conversation, so he continued. "I don't even know what the hell I was thinking, choosing Amber over you."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," he replied. "It was a big mistake. I thought it made sense at the time because she was here and you were far away in England, but now I realize that I was just being stupid. Because I love you. Much more than I ever loved her."

I knew that I came here to talk. To listen to what he had to say. To accept his apology so that I could finally be able to move on. Nothing more. I hadn't come to renew our relationship. But now I was here and none of that made much sense anymore.

Because of the look he was giving me.

Because of the words he was saying.

Merlin's beard, I wanted to kiss him. Badly.

So I did.

I launched myself into his arms and pressed my lips to his. He froze for a moment, but then he started kissing me back.

For a second my mind flashed to Amber. But then I pushed her out of my head. They'd most definitely broken up. Why else would he have said those things about her being a mistake and not loving her like he loved me? Why else would he be kissing me back?

We stayed that way for a while. Tangled up together, snogging like our lives depended on it. And it was wonderful. Breathtaking. Unforgettable. Perfect.

But then some guy pushed open the door of the café and stuck his head out. "Dylan, what the fuck are you doing? Break's over, man. Get your ass back in here."

Dylan pulled away from me. "I gotta get back to work," he told me, breathing heavily. "But meet me back here in an hour, okay? That's when I get off."

I nodded, unable to stop a giant smile from spreading across my face. I wanted to jump up and down. I wanted to skip down the street, singing at the top of my lungs. Dylan loved _me_. He'd chosen _me_ over Amber. Suddenly nothing seemed so bad anymore. Who cared about the mistakes I'd made? Who cared about what I'd done with Robert. That was all in the past now. And this… well, this was the present. And the future was sure looking very promising.

For the next hour, I wandered around in the various shops that were located near the café. It was perhaps the slowest 60 minutes of my life. All I wanted to do was get back to Dylan. I wanted to kiss him some more. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to be with him. Was that really so much to ask?

Finally, though, I glanced down at my watch and saw that an hour had passed. I ran back down the street to the café. Dylan was standing out front, waiting.

Waiting for me.

I ran straight into his arms.

"Hey," he said, smiling down at me. "Miss me?"

I buried my face in his chest and nodded.

"Come on," he said. "I wanna show you my dorm."

I took his hand and let him lead me to his car. I felt a little bit nervous. His dorm. We were going to his dorm. That's where his bed was. _Oh my god._

I wasn't really sure why I was worried. I wasn't a virgin anymore. I knew what I was doing now. If I could have sex with Robert, then I could certainly have sex with Dylan. He loved me. And I loved him.

I leaned my head back against the passenger seat headrest and smiled. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about.

Ten minutes later, we were standing in his dorm room.

"So yeah," he said. "This is where I live. It's not much, but it works." He pointed to one of the beds. "That my roommate's bed. He went home for the weekend, so we don't have to worry about him interrupting anything."

"Do you two get along?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, he's alright. He's an idiot though. I won't be surprised if he flunks out."

I turned to the other bed. "So then that's yours?"

He nodded. "Yup. That's mine."

"It's…nice."

He chuckled.

I went and sat down on it, bouncing up and down slightly. "Seems comfortable," I said. "Nice and firm."

He came and sat down next to me. "Yeah, it's great," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close.

From there things became a bit of a blur. His hands were all over me and we were snogging feverishly. As things got more and more heated, clothes began to disappear. Soon I was lying under him and he was gazing down at me, looking at me in the way that I never dreamed I'd ever see him look at me again. And he was whispering in my ear, telling me that I was beautiful and that he never should have left me and that he loved me, only me.

Then he asked the same question that he's asked me more than a year ago: "Are you sure?"

I nodded in the same way I had before. Only this time I really meant it. This time I didn't change my mind. This time I just let it happen.

And it was wonderful.

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><p><em>Sorry that this chapter's so short.<em>

_Please review!_


	29. Chapter 29

Click-clack. Click-clack.

The sound of high heels woke me up.

For a split second, my brain, still caught in that groggy state somewhere between sleep and full awareness, did not register the sound as anything peculiar. And by the time it did, she had already starting shouting.

"What the hell is going on here?" Her voice broke through the silence, high-pitched and angry.

My eyes flew open and I hastily pulled the sheets up over my naked body. Beside me, Dylan was staring, wide-eyed, at the girl who was yelling.

"Amber…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Amber, the girl I had assumed was his ex-girlfriend, was standing in front of the bed, arms crossed, looking very much like someone who was not actually an _ex_-girlfriend, but a girlfriend. A very _current _girlfriend.

My mouth went dry. He'd told me they'd broken up. Hadn't he? No, I realized. No, he hadn't. I'd only assumed. Because he told me he loved me and because he kissed and because he brought me back here. Why would he do that if he had a girlfriend?

I stared at Amber, feeling slightly sick to my stomach. All the wonderful feelings from a few hours earlier had vanished, replaced only by feelings of guilt.

She stood there, as Dylan stumbled through an explanation and apology, looking angry and sad and hurt all at once.

A part of me, the spiteful part, couldn't help but think that it was no wonder Dylan had chosen me over her. She didn't look like his type at all. Her hair was perfectly flat-ironed into place, a deep auburn color that may or may not have come from a bottle. She was wearing a pant suit, like she had just come from somewhere very important, somewhere with men in ties and secretaries answering phone calls. On her feet were heels that were much higher and pointier than anything I would ever dare put on my feet. In one hand she clutched a cup of coffee; in the other she held a briefcase.

I quickly pushed that thought out of mind. It didn't matter if she didn't look like his type. She was his girlfriend. And what we'd done was wrong. Very wrong.

"I told you that I had an interview this afternoon for the internship at the law firm, Dylan. I told you that we'd meet up afterward!" Her voice cracked and she gripped her coffee cup harder. "If you were gonna cheat on me, couldn't you have been a little less conspicuous about it?"

"I forgot," he said. "I forgot that you said you were coming over."

I felt stranded, lying there with no clothes on. I wanted to say something, but at the same time I didn't want to attract any more attention to myself. I just wanted to disappear, melt away and pretend none of this had ever happened.

"That doesn't make it okay, Dylan!" she snapped. "You cheated on me!" Then, to my utter horror, she turned to me, her green eyes flashing. "And you," she said. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think that it's okay to sleep with other people's boyfriends?"

"I… I thought… I didn't… I thought you'd broken up already. I wouldn't have… this wouldn't have happened if I'd known. I swear." I stumbled through the words, wishing I could make it through a sentence without a million pauses. "I'm so sorry."

She pursed her lips and turned back to Dylan. "I'm gonna go now," she said. Her voice was quiet this time, as if her anger had dissipated and all that was left was sadness. Regret. Heartbreak.

"Amber—" he started to say.

"No," she said. "We're done, okay? And I'm leaving." She spun around and I heard a small sob as she click-clacked across the room and out the door.

As soon as she was gone, I jumped out of bed and immediately pulled on my clothes. "Why didn't you tell me that you were still with her?" I asked.

He stood up and reached for his boxers. "I don't know," he murmured. "I didn't want to ruin the moment. I wanted to be with you."

"Well, the moment was pretty much ruined when your girlfriend showed up, Dylan."

"Yeah," he agreed. "It was."

"You made me the 'other woman', Dylan. I didn't ask for that. I didn't want that. You should have told me. I never would have done this if I'd known. Amber seems like a nice girl. She deserved better than this. _I _deserved better than this."

"I know," he said. "I know."

I sighed heavily. "I need to go."

"Go?" he said. "Why?"

"Because I can't be with you anymore."

"But Amber and I broke up."

"I know. But this is the second time you've hurt me, Dylan. I can't do it anymore. I can't risk that it'll happen again. My heart wouldn't be able to take it."

"I'm an idiot," he said.

I smiled a bit. "Yeah, you are."

"I just wanted to be with you. But I screwed things up again and now I can't."

I just nodded.

"Do you hate me?"

"Hate you?" I asked. "Merlin's beard, Dylan. Of course not. I _love_ you."

This was one of those moments when my heart and my head were not agreeing. My heart was telling me—begging me—to stay. But my head was telling me to leave. I decided to go with my head. I would risk hurting my heart at that moment, in order to prevent it from getting hurt even more in the future.

"But you are angry with me, right?" he asked.

"Not as angry as you probably think. What you did was wrong, but I guess I understand why you did it. And I can't be too angry at you. After all, you did it because you wanted to be with me."

He just stood there, half-dressed, looking at me.

I walked over to where he was standing and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye, Dylan."

"Bye, Dom," he said.

I made my way over to the door. Before I turned the knob and walked out, I turned back around. "I forgot to mention this earlier, but I got a job. It's just a receptionist position at the Ministry, but who knows, maybe I'll move up."

"That's great," he said. "Congratulations."

I nodded. "Yeah, so I guess I see you around. Will you be coming to England this summer?"

He shook his head. "I have a photography internship this summer."

"Oh," I said, wishing that this news didn't disappoint me as much as it did. "Well, congratulations. Er, good luck. Not that you'll need it. I'm sure you'll do amazing. I know you will. You're gonna take the photography world by storm. Someday, I'm gonna open a muggle magazine and see your photos all over it for the entire world to see."

He gave me a small smile. "You think?"

"I _know. _You're going to be a fantastic photographer. You're going to be so happy and so successful. And that's good because I want you to be happy. So happy." I felt myself tearing up and I knew I needed to get out of there. "So, yeah, you'll do great and, er… you should stop smoking, you know. Because you can't be the most famous photographer in the world if you die of lung cancer first." I paused, well aware of the fact that I was babbling and that everything I said probably just sounded like nonsense. "Goodbye," I whispered, opening the door and stepping out of his dorm without a look back.

When I finally arrived back in England after an excruciatingly long plane ride, I somehow found myself standing outside Timothy Nott's flat. Before I could stop myself, I knocked on his door. I stood there for a moment and just as I had convinced myself that he wasn't home, that this was a stupid idea, that I should go talk to Liz instead, the door opened slightly and Timothy peered out at me.

"Well, well, well," he said, smirking. "Dominique Weasley. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Life sucks," I said.

He opened the door a little wider and I took a step inside.

"It really, really sucks," I added.

"You're right," he replied, shutting the door. "It does."

I laughed bitterly. "That's it? You're not going to give me some rubbish about how everyone as their low points and if I just wait it out, everything will be fine and dandy?"

He shrugged. "Why should I lie? Life does suck."

How comforting.

I followed him into his living room, where he gestured to a tattered couch. I sat down and looked up at him.

"So why aren't you at that freaky psychic girl's house?" he asked. "Isn't she supposed to be your best friend? Aren't you supposed to go to her when life's getting you down?"

I shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to hear all that psychic stuff right now."

He nodded, sitting down beside me and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "Well if you want to talk, go right ahead. If not…" He trailed off, shrugging.

I found myself staring at him. He was a little too skinny. His face was a little too pointy. He was a little bit arrogant. A little bit infuriating. And yet, he didn't have a girlfriend. He wasn't far away. He was right here. And he was willing to listen. He was here for me.

So I found myself leaning in. He just looked at me for a second, but then he leaned in too. We met in the middle.

After a moment, I pulled away, staring at him to gauge his reaction.

"That was—"

"Horrible," I finished for him.

"You didn't like it either?" he asked. "Thank Merlin it wasn't just me. I felt like I was kissing my sister!"

"Let's never do that again," I said, shuddering.

"Don't worry," he said. "That won't be a problem."

I laughed. It started out as a quiet giggle and then turned into a hysterical cackle. I clutched my stomach, tears streaming down my face.

Timothy stared at me, a bemused expression on his face. "What's the hell wrong with you?" he asked.

I shook my head, waiting for the laughter to fade. Finally I was able to speak. "It's just… it's all so ridiculous. Why can't you choose who you're attracted to? I wish, with all my heart, that I _felt_ something when I kissed you. Because you'd be so good for me. But instead, I'm in love with the guy who's broken my heart twice now."

"That's why you were laughing?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound particularly funny."

"It's kind of funny," I replied, "in a sad way."

"So, I take it your visit with Dylan went badly?" asked Timothy.

I stared at the wall, at the crack that started near the ceiling and ran in a jagged line halfway to the floor. "I slept with him," I replied. "And then his girlfriend showed up. I thought they'd broken up, but I guess not. So I had to leave. Because I couldn't let him hurt me anymore."

I imagined that my heart looked something like that wall. A crack down the middle. But, like that crack in the wall, it didn't reach all the way from the top to the bottom. It stopped somewhere in the middle. Dylan hadn't broken my heart completely in two yet. But if I'd stayed, if I'd given him the opportunity, then maybe he would have.

"So things ended badly again?" said Timothy. "My suggestion didn't work."

I shrugged. "I wouldn't say they ended badly. I was upset. I really wanted things to work out. I really wanted to be with him. But I wasn't angry when I left. I wished him the best. I told him I wanted to be happy. And I meant it."

I was going to be okay this time. I missed him, that much was certain. But I wasn't going to mope around for months, getting drunk and shagging random strangers to try to forget. As strange as it may seem, seeing Dylan again had offered some closure. I was glad that I'd been able to wish him the best, to end things amicably.

"So things are over forever between the two of you?" he asked.

"That is not a question that I can answer," I replied. "Because I have no idea what the future may hold. From what I've seen of the world, it's the people you least expect to ever be a part of your life that end up being some of the most important. And sometimes you may think a person is gone for good, but often they find their way back to you."

Maybe someday Dylan and I would have another chance. Maybe it would lead to my heart being completely broken in two. Or maybe it would lead to my heart being mended. Or maybe I'd find someone else and he'd be the one to the breaking. Or the mending. At that moment, I had no idea. But that was okay.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" I asked. "I don't want to go home. I don't want to have to deal with anyone right now. Especially not my parents."

"Sure," replied Timothy.

"Okay," I said. "Do you have a blanket or something?"

He just looked at me. "You're not sleeping on the couch, Dom."

"Well, I'm certainly not sleeping in your bed with you," I snapped.

"You're right. You're sleeping in the bed and I'm sleeping on the couch."

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch in your own flat, Nott," I said.

"Yes, you are. Now get up."

I didn't budge. "I'm not moving."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I'm not either."

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, then I guess we're both sleeping on this damn couch."

"Guess so," he said, picking up his wand and giving it a flick. All the lights went out.

I closed my eyes and curled up into a small ball. My face pressed against the arm of the couch and I knew it would leave a mark.

"Goodnight, Dom." Timothy's voice broke through the silence of the darkness, sounding amused. Of course, it was a pretty funny situation. The two of us, scrunched up on a tattered couch out of stubbornness. Either one of could have easily gotten up and gone to sleep in the bed. But neither of us moved.

"Goodnight, Timothy," I replied.

I figured that I should start calling him by his first name. After all, when someone offers to give up his comfort and a good night's sleep for you by refusing to budge from a threadbare couch, he deserves, at the very least, to be called by his first name.

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><p><em>I finally posted a picture of Timothy on my profile. So check it out if you're interested.<em>


	30. Chapter 30

When I woke up, I discovered that my face was smashed up against Timothy's foot.

"Eww!" I exclaimed, sitting up quickly.

Timothy sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. "Wha—?"

"My mouth was touching your foot! I probably caught some sort of disease from your toe fungus!"

He blinked several times, looking slightly confused. It was obvious that he was not a morning person. "I don't have toe fungus," he said, after he had woken up enough to form a full sentence. "That's disgusting."

"What's disgusting is the fact that I woke up with your foot in my face. Why couldn't you have just gone and slept in your bed like I told you to?"

"Hey," he said. "I made it perfectly clear that you were welcome to sleep there yourself. Besides, you weren't a complete joy to sleep with either. You kicked me in the face at least six times. And you wouldn't stop talking either. It was annoying."

"What'd I say?" I asked sharply. I prayed that it was nothing embarrassing. Oh, god, what if I'd been talking about Dylan?

"I don't know," he said, running his hand through his hair. "I didn't get much of it. I did hear you say something about your sister though."

Vic? I'd said something about Vic?

"My sister?" I asked. "Really?"

"Don't ask me what you said about her. I didn't hear."

"Well, I should probably get going," I said, standing up, relieved that I hadn't said anything too embarrassing. "Thanks for letting me crash here. That was nice of you. Even if your nasty feet got in my face."

He smiled. "No problem."

I grabbed my bag and checked my reflection in the mirror that was hanging above the fireplace. "Wow," I said. "I look like shit." I supposed that was only to be expected though. I had spent hours and hours on an airplane and then slept on a couch. "Mind if I use your bathroom before I go?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," he said.

Once I had fixed my hair and washed my face, I Disapparted. But I didn't go home. Instead I found myself standing outside the flat in London that Teddy, Vic, and Jackie lived in. I had no idea what had possessed me to go there. Well, that wasn't completely true. I'd remembered what Timothy had said. About me talking about Vic in my sleep. And I realized that I hadn't seen her since her wedding, which had been over a month ago. I'd been meaning to talk to her. I still remembered all those things Teddy had told me that she'd apparently said about me. But I'd been a little caught up in the whole Robert debacle, as well as applying for and getting a job and, of course, going to America to see Dylan.

So, before I could stop myself, I knocked on the door.

Vic answered it. "Dom!" she said, looking surprised. "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "Can I come in?"

She opened the door a little wider and allowed me to take a step inside.

"Seriously, though," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at me. "What are you doing here? Are you in some sort of trouble or something? Because if you are, then—"

"No, I'm fine," I said, cutting her off. "I just wanted to see you. It's been a while."

She unfolded her arms and I noticed that she was still wearing her pajamas. She looked so young, standing there in her flannel pajama bottoms and faded Weird Sisters T-shirt. It was hard to believe that she was now a mother and a wife. "Oh," she said, not bothering to hide her shock. "Well, er… This is my day off. I was gonna take Jackie to the zoo. It's pretty warm for this late in September, so I figured that this was probably the last chance we would have before it got cold."

"Oh, well, if you're busy…" I started to back up toward the door.

"You can come with us if you want," she said. "Jackie would like that. She doesn't see you enough."

I stopped walking. "Okay," I said uncertainly, trying to remember the last time Vic had invited me to do something with her. I was fairly certain that she never had.

"Jackie's in her bedroom," she said. "Would you mind hanging out with her while I shower?"

"No problem," I said, looking around. It struck me that I'd never been there before. I had no idea where Jackie's room was.

Vic seemed to realize this and pointed it out to me.

Jackie was sitting on the floor, playing with her dolls, when I walked in. She smiled widely when I walked in. "Aunt Dom!" she exclaimed, running over to me and throwing her arms around my legs.

"Hey, Jackie," I said, trying to steady myself.

"Come play," the three-year-old demanded, pulling me over to a giant box of toys. She started picking through it, wildly tossing aside toys that she didn't want.

"Er, Jackie, sweetie," I said gently, "I think that you should try to be a little neater. You don't want to make a mess."

She ignored me and continued scattering her toys all over the room until she came to the one she wanted. It was a toy guitar. Obviously muggle made, with bright colors and lots of big, plastic buttons.

She put the strap over her head and began pushing the buttons. Flashes of different songs, muggle ones I didn't recognize, burst out from the little speaker. A different one with each button she pushed. She giggled, pushing the buttons faster.

She handed me a toy microphone. "Sing!" she demanded.

"You know," I said, taking the mic reluctantly. "I'm not actually much of a singer."

"Sing!" she repeated.

So I did.

I watched her while I did, noticing for the first time how much she looked liked her father. She had his jet black hair, pale skin, and aristocratic nose. Pair that with her mother's big blue eyes and I knew that someday she'd be a heartbreaker, just like both her parents.

When Vic appeared twenty minutes later, showered and dressed in a sweater and jeans, Jackie was still clutching the guitar. We had moved on to playing with her dolls, but she had refused to put it away.

"Jackie," said Vic, carefully talking the guitar from her. "Why don't you go get your jacket? It's in the kitchen."

"She seems really attached to that thing," I said, after she had scampered off.

Vic nodded, placing it back in the toy box. "Colin got it for her before he, you know… left. I guess he wanted her to be a musician just like him." She paused, biting her lip. "Jackie doesn't even remember him, but she carries that guitar around with her everywhere. It just reminds me that someday I'm going to have to explain to her why the guy who gave it to her didn't bother to stick around long enough to see her get old enough to actually use it."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Jackie reappeared, this time in a little pink jacket. "Let's go," she said, tugging on her mum's hand. "Let's go. Let's go. Let's go."

"Alright, sweetie," said Vic. "Go wait in the living room."

Jackie enthusiastically ran out the door. I turned to follow her, but Vic stopped me. "Dom," she said, putting her hand on my arm.

I turned. "What?"

"If you ever want to talk about what happened at my wedding, you know, with Robert—"

"I don't," I said, before she could finish. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget about it."

I had thought that I would want to talk, but now that I was there I realized that it didn't matter that Vic had said those nice things about me. It didn't matter that it turned out that she didn't actually resent me and that she might actually care about me. Because none of those meant that our relationship was any better than before. None of it meant that I knew how to talk to her. None of it meant that she wasn't still practically a stranger.

She looked at me for a moment and I wondered if she was thinking any of the things that I was thinking.

"Come on," she said. "Jackie's probably getting impatient."

I followed her into the living room and watched as she grabbed a hold of Jackie's hand. She held out her other hand to me. As I took it, it occurred to me that the last time she had touched me was when she had dragged me out of our grandparents' broom shed after discovering me with Robert.

The three of us Disapparated, appearing seconds later in a deserted part of the zoo.

"You Apparated straight inside the zoo?" I asked. "You're not going to pay?"

She shrugged. "I don't have any muggle money."

"You're setting a bad example for your daughter," I replied lightly, hoping that she would know I was kidding. I knew that I usually didn't have the most complimentary things to say about her, but I certainly would never want to imply that she was a bad mother.

Luckily, Vic didn't seem to take offense at my words. She just smiled a little, watching as Jackie took off down a path, shouting something about giraffes. "She's three years old, Dom," she said. "I doubt she'll ever remember any of this."

We both hurried to catch up with her. She got excited when we arrived at the giraffes, pointing her finger and bouncing on the balls of her feet. She pressed her face up against the fence and giggled hysterically at the sight of it's long tongue.

We looked at the other African animals and then Jackie demanded to see the snakes.

"She's convinced that she's going to be able to talk to them," Vic told me. "Uncle Harry told her the story about setting that snake on his cousin in the zoo when he was a kid and now she thinks she'll be able to as well. I told her that she's not a Parselmouth, but she won't listen."

On our way there, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw a guy waving at me. His name was Paul and he had been in my year at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw just like me.

"Hey," I said, as he made his way over to me. I motioned for Vic and Jackie to go on into the Reptile House without me.

I'd never been friends with Paul. In fact, I could probably count on one the hand the number of times I had an actual conversation with him in the seven years I'd known him. But he was one of those guys everybody liked, even if they didn't know him. He was handsome and charming and funny, always goofing off in class, telling jokes and laughing too loudly. But he never got in trouble because all the teachers loved him. And it was obvious that he never meant any harm.

"Hey," he said, shooting me his patented grin, the one that seemed permanently attached to his face. For the first time, it occurred to me how attractive he was, with skin the color of chocolate and twinkling brown eyes.

"What are you doing at the zoo?" I asked. It wasn't exactly the place I expected to run into someone from Hogwarts at.

"I'm with my little sister," he replied. "She's using the loo right now. That's why she's not with me. I didn't lose her or anything."

I giggled. It occurred to me that I couldn't remember the last time that someone other than Dylan had made me giggle.

"So what about you?" he asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm with my sister and her daughter," I said. "They're looking at the snakes right now. My niece thinks that can speak parseltongue."

He laughed. It was a nice laugh, low with an almost musical-like quality. "How old is she?" he asked.

"Three," I said. "She's adorable."

"I bet."

His sister came walking over at that moment, before I had a chance to reply. She was probably about eight, though she was tall for her age. She grabbed her brother's hand and tugged on it. "Come on," she said. "Let's go."

He gave me one last smile as she dragged him away. "Bye, Dom," he said. "It was really nice talking to you."

I felt a little flutter in my stomach, the kind of flutter that I'd never experienced with anyone since Dylan. Robert certainly never made me feel anything like that. And, as much as I had wanted him to, neither had Timothy.

I smiled a little. Suddenly the idea of dating a nice guy seemed very appealing. Dylan wasn't exactly unfriendly, but after everything that had happened I wasn't exactly going to classify him as a 'nice guy'. Robert certainly wasn't one either, that much was certain. Timothy was nice to me, though everyone else in the world still seemed to think that he was an arse simply because of his surname, but I hadn't been attracted to him.

Paul, however, was definitely a nice guy. He was the kind of guy who'd never cheat on his girlfriend or let her pass out drunk on his bathroom floor. He was a guy you could count on. I didn't know him that well, but I knew that much. And apparently, at least according to that flutter in my stomach, I was attracted to him.

Vic stuck her head out of the door of the Reptile House. "Dom!" she called. "What are you doing? Get in here."

I made my way inside, the smile still on my face. It had been a pretty good day. Vic and I had gotten along better than I ever remembered. We certainly hadn't worked out all of our problems, or really any of them. I had a feeling that this was one of those freak occurrences and that afterward everything would go back to how it was before. We weren't suddenly going to be super close, telling each other everything and hanging out all the time. I still didn't know how to talk to her about anything meaningful and I still resented all the years she'd spent ignoring me. Nevertheless, it had been nice spending time with her and Jackie. Really nice.

* * *

><p><em>Just a random, useless fact. Paul is mentioned very briefly in chapter 12: <strong>A boy named Paul had put a Growth Charm on a spider he'd found and was currently sending it zooming around the room, much to the delight of his friends.<strong>_

_Don't forget to review! If you don't, I'll make sure a giant spider is sent zooming straight into your face :)_


	31. Chapter 31

_**Two Years later**_

Sometimes the world ends.

For everyone else, it might just have been a regular Saturday afternoon in August. Cloudy with a chance of rain. A good day to stay in and get some laundry done. Or maybe finally catch up on some reading.

For me, though, the world was ending. Crashing and burning around me. I expected that if I looked out the window I'd see fires and hurricanes and Tsunamis, people running and screaming, holes in the earth opening up and sucking them down.

Of course, none of that was actually happening, but it felt like it should be. The day was too normal for something so monumental, so life-changing. How could something like this happen while the world just kept turning, while people went about their lives, completely oblivious to the fact that at that moment my world was ending?

Or at least, I was pretty sure it was.

Though I would need to see a healer to make sure.

I supposed that it could be a false alarm.

I mean, yeah, I did forget to use the contraceptive spell that one time.

And, yeah, I had missed my period.

But that didn't necessarily mean I was pregnant, did it?

_Did it?_

After all, women can miss their periods for other reasons.

This was just a false alarm. I couldn't be pregnant. I just couldn't be. I was only 20 years old. I wasn't married. I wasn't ready to be a mother.

"Dom?" Paul called, knocking on the bathroom door. "Are you alright? You've been in there for a long time."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I called back weakly. Of course, if he could see me, he would know that I was lying. Nobody with an ounce of common sense would believe that I was fine. People who were fine did not sit alone on the bathroom floor, with their legs pulled up tightly against their chests, silently crying to themselves.

"That didn't sound very convincing," he replied. "If you don't come out in two minutes, I'm coming in there."

"I'm coming out," I said, standing up. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a couple deep breaths. As I opened the door, I caught a look at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My eyes were red and puffy. I looked terrified.

Paul immediately grabbed my hand upon my exit of the bathroom. "Have you been crying?" he asked. His face was filled with concern.

I nodded. "I—I think…" I couldn't get the words out.

"What?" he asked gently.

He was always so kind, so caring. I'd been with him for nearly two years and I was pretty sure that he'd never once treated me badly. I trusted him completely. I felt safe around him. I could tell him about this. There was nothing to be worried about.

I took a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant."

His eyes widened. "Pregnant?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm not sure though. I'm gonna go to St. Mungo's tomorrow to find out." My voice cracked and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

He squeezed my hand. "It's gonna be okay, Dom. Whether you're pregnant or not, it's gonna be okay."

"But I have no idea how to be a mother," I said. "Do you know how much responsibility it is? And we're still so young."

He pulled me into a hug. "It'll going to be fine. I promise."

"I need to be getting home," I said after a minute, untangling myself from his arms.

"I thought you were staying here tonight," he said.

"I just want to be alone," I replied. "I'm going to go home, lock myself in my room, and sleep."

"Alright," he said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "See you tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Of course."

I Apparated back to my house. To my surprise, Vic was sitting on the couch in the living room with Jackie.

Vic and Teddy had recently moved out of their flat in London and into a house in town. They visited a lot more now that they lived so close by.

She looked up when I walked into the room. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Have you been crying?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I have."

"Did Paul do something?"

"No," I said. "I mean, kind of…"

She just looked at me, waiting for me to explain what I meant.

I wasn't sure why, but I found myself telling her everything. I couldn't remember ever sharing anything like that with her before. We'd been getting along better than before recently, but we certainly weren't close. We never confided in each other.

Jackie looked up from her book. "You're pregnant?" she asked loudly.

"Shh," I said. "Someone will hear."

"Nobody else is home," said Vic.

"Then what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Mum invited me for dinner. She's just doing some shopping right now. Dad's at work obviously. Teddy is too, but he should be here soon. And Merlin knows where Louis is."

"Jackie," I said, kneeling down in front of her. "You have to promise that you won't tell anyone that I might be pregnant."

"Why?" she asked. "Is it a secret?"

I nodded. "Yes, it's a secret between the three of us. No one else can know."

"But why?"

I sighed. "Because I don't know for sure yet, sweetie. I don't want to tell people until I'm sure that I'm actually pregnant.

"Okay," she said. "I won't tell anyone. I'm a _very_ good secret-keeper."

I smiled. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

She grinned back. One of her front teeth was missing. She was growing up so fast.

I stood up. "Could you tell Mum that I'm not feeling well and probably won't be down for dinner?" I asked Vic.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

That night, I dreamt of Dylan. The sad thing was that it wasn't the first time. Or the second time. Or third. Dylan seemed to end up in my dreams a lot. I'd heard people say that first loves fades easily. That you're supposed to look back on your teenage boyfriend/girlfriend and realize that what you felt was only puppy love. But if that was really the case, then why had my feelings for Dylan not faded in the slightest? Why did I still love him as much as I did when I was 17? Why did I sometimes I think that what I felt for him was stronger than what I felt for Paul, the guy I'd been with for almost two years?

The next morning, I wandered downstairs for breakfast. My appointment at St. Mungo's was in a few hours and I was having trouble remembering how to breathe.

Dad and Louis were both sitting at the breakfast table. Dad was reading the paper when I sat down.

"Damn it," he muttered. "The Chudley Cannons lost again."

"That's because they suck, Dad," said Louis.

Dad looked up, his eyes wide. "What did you just say?" he asked. Speaking badly about the Cannons in our house was pretty much considered blasphemy.

"They suck," repeated Louis. "They've been at the bottom of the League for years. They haven't won the League Cup since 1892.

"You used to love the Cannons," said Dad. "I'd take you and Vic to their games and you'd cheer louder than everyone there."

I never went to Quidditch games with them. I'd always stay home with Mum and read a book instead. I'd never really seen the appeal of Quidditch. But Dad, Vic, and Louis all loved it. Vic even used to play for the Gryffindor team before she got pregnant.

"I liked them because you liked them, Dad."

"So what team do you like now?" Dad demanded.

"The Tornados."

Dad appeared to be having a heart attack. "The Tornados? That's ridiculous. You only like them because they always win."

Louis rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to sit here and argue with you about Quidditch. You sound like a five-year-old."

I had to agree. Dad was pouting. Actually pouting,

Louis stood up and left the room. A moment later I heard the slam of the front door.

I found him sitting on the steps, staring out at the ocean.

"Hey," I said, sitting down beside him.

"Hey," he replied, not looking up.

We were quiet for a moment, lost in our own thoughts.

Just as I was about to say something—anything—to break the silence, he spoke. "I'm dropping out of school. I'm not going back there."

I knew that I should have argued with him, told him that it was just one year, that he needed to graduate, but I didn't. Instead I just nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I had a feeling that you would."

"School's never been my thing," he said. "And I'm 17 now, so I can do whatever I want. And I want is to get the hell out of there."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I'm gonna go to California," he said.

"California?"

He nodded. "San Francisco, I think."

"But what are you going to do?"

"I was thinking of becoming a street performer."

I snorted. "Are you serious?"

He finally looked over at me, eyebrows knitted together, his expression serious. "Yeah, I'm serious. I'm think I'll be a magician. The people will be amazed. It will almost be like it's real magic…"

I laughed, but then grew serious. "California's really far away."

"Yeah and I'll miss you, but it's something I want to do."

I looked at him, not saying anything. It was hard to believe he was 17. I still remembered when he was just a happy-go-lucky kid, always cheerful and optimistic. Back then he had tons of friends, back then he was never alone, never moody. He and Dad got along great. Oh, how things had changed. He hadn't had any friends since he was 12. As far as I knew, the brief relationship he had with that kid named Charlie when he was 14 was the only relationship he'd ever had. He was a loner and he seemed happy that way.

"It was hard, wasn't it?" I asked.

"What was hard?"

"Just, you know… being you."

He nodded. "Yeah, I still remember when I figured out that I was gay. My best friend starting noticing girls and _I _started noticing _him_."

"Wow," I said.

"That's why I stopped hanging out with him… and with everyone else. I was scared. I hated feeling what I felt. But after a while I grew used to not having any friends. Now I like being alone." He smiled at me. "Except when it comes to you, of course."

"When are you leaving?" I asked.

"Soon," he replied. "Next month."

My throat tightened. "I'll miss you, kid."

"I'll miss you too," he said.

For a moment I considered telling him that I might be pregnant. I'd told Vic, so it would only have made sense for me to tell him. After all, I'd always been closer to Louis. But I couldn't bring myself to. I didn't want to talk about it. It was stupid, but I almost felt like telling too many people would make it true.

So I just gave him one last hug, made him promise that he would come see me before he left, and then excused myself.

Three hours later, I found myself sitting on a bed in St. Mungo's, my fingernails digging into my palms, waiting for the nurse to come back with my results.

The door opened and she walked in. She was young and blonde and smiled a lot. I vaguely recognized her from school. She had been a few years ahead of me.

"You're not pregnant," she told me.

I wasn't pregnant. I immediately felt a large wave of relief wash over me.

The nurse seemed to notice the huge smile that had spread across my face. "I take it that you didn't want to be pregnant," she said.

"No," I said. "I definitely didn't want to be pregnant. Not yet. My sister got pregnant when she was 17, you probably remember. And I always told myself that I wouldn't make the same mistake as her. I would wait until I was married and my husband and I both had solid incomes and a house and were 100 percent ready to start a family. I know that I'm older than 17 and my boyfriend's great, but we're still so young. I'm a receptionist and his job doesn't pay to well either. I'm sure we'll both move up eventually, but right now it would really hard to support a kid. And we don't have a house. He lives in a tiny little flat and I still live at home. It just wasn't the time."

I paused, taking a breath. I wasn't sure why I had decided to unload all that on a random nurse, but it felt good to get it off my chest.

She smiled at me. "Well, I'm sure that once you get older and get married, you'll have a beautiful family."

I Apparated straight to Paul's flat after the appointment to tell him the news.

"I'm not pregnant!" I announced, as soon as he opened the door.

He didn't say anything. He just pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"You know," he said, about thirty minutes later. We were lying in his bed, tangled together. "I kind of wanted to be a father. I was completely freaked out when you told me, but then the more I thought about it, the more excited I became."

"Being a parent takes a lot of time and a lot of energy," I said, thinking about Vic. "I don't think that we would have been ready."

"I want to marry you," he said suddenly.

My eyes widened. Of all the things that I expected him to say, that had not been one of them. It was so out of the blue. We'd never discussed marriage. Not once.

"But… I'm not pregnant. Didn't you hear?"

"You know," he said, "you don't have to be pregnant to get married."

"I know that," I said. "But we're so young and we've never even talked about this."

"I'm not saying that we should get married soon. We can wait a couple years. I just want to marry you." He reached over and pulled something out of his drawer. It was a small velvet box. "I just want to put this ring on your finger." He opened the lid and showed me the small diamond ring nestled in the cushion. It was beautiful.

"I need to think about this," I said. "Is that alright with you? If I just take some time."

"Of course," he said. "Of course that's alright."

He was so sweet. Always so sweet. At the beginning of our relationship there had been so many sparks. I loved him. I loved how nice he was. I loved that I felt just as strongly about him as I did about Dylan. But now, some of the sparks seemed to have faded. I wasn't sure if I even still loved him or if I just loved the_ idea _of him. He was perfect, everything a woman should want in a man. Nice, smart, handsome. He made me feel safe. If I stayed with him, if I married him and grew old with him, I was sure I would be happy. But a part of me couldn't help but feel that I would be settling.

But was settling really so bad? After all, he loved me. He treated me great. And he wanted to be with me.

I needed to think. I decided to take a walk around London and clear my head.

"Dom," I heard someone shout. I was standing on a street corner, eating some ice-cream. I'd been walking around for at least two hours and I was no closer to making a decision than when I had first started.

I turned and saw Robert hurrying toward me. He was holding some girl's hand. I recognized her as Bridget McCutcheon, a girl my sister's age who had caused a major scandal in their seventh year when she got pregnant with a teacher's baby. Vic had gotten her a job at Uncle George's joke shop. She'd had a miscarriage a few months into her pregnancy.

"Hey," I said. "Wow, it's been a while."

He nodded. "Yeah, I saw you and I couldn't believe it. You look great."

"Thanks," I said. "So do you."

It felt weird, after all he put me through, to be standing there, making small talk with him on a street corner in London. Oddly enough, I didn't really feel any anger toward him.

"This is Bridget," he said, nodding at the girl. "She's my fiancée."

I felt my mouth drop open in shock. "No way," I said, a huge smile spreading across my face. "_You _have a fiancée? That's great!"

I'd always thought that Robert would be a permanent bachelor. He hadn't exactly seemed like the commitment type in the short time I knew him. I guess people could change after all.

Surprisingly enough, Robert was not the most unexpected person I ran into that day. About a half hour later, I spotted Colin coming out of a shop. I froze. He'd been gone for more than four years. For all I knew, he had vanished off the face of the planet. And now here he was, five feet away from me.

His eyes widened when he saw me. "Dom?" he asked. "Is that you?"

I didn't say anything. I just glared at him. That good-for-nothing slimeball…

"Dom?" he said again, taking a few steps closer. "Can I talk to you?"

"Are you serious?" I snapped. "You want to talk to me? After you walked out on my sister and your own daughter. It's been four years, Colin! Four years!"

"I know," he said. "God, you think I don't know how long it's been?"

I shrugged. "I don't have time for this," I said, turning away.

"Wait," he said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. "Please."

The desperation in his voice made me stop. He sounded so sincere. So upset.

"What?" I asked? "What could you possibly have to say to me?"

"I just want to know how she is."

"Who? Vic?"

"No," he said. "Jackie."

"Jackie's doing really well," I said. "She's really smart. She already knows how to read."

He smiled a bit. "Good," he said. "That's good."

"Is that it?" I asked.

"I'm an idiot," he said.

"You don't have to tell me that."

"I think about her every day. Jackie, I mean. I've never forgiven myself for walking out on her. I thought I would be doing her a favor by leaving, but I regretted it so much afterward. I still regret it."

My glance dropped to his wrist. There were some letters tattooed on it. I squinted, trying to read them. _J-A-C_…

Oh my God.

"Her name," I said, gesturing at his wrist. "You tattooed her name on your wrist?

He nodded.

"When?" I asked. "Was it after you left?"

He nodded again.

"You really do still love her, don't you?"

"Yeah," he murmured. "I really do."

"Maybe you should go talk to Vic," I said. "Maybe she'll let you see her."

"You think?"

I shrugged. "I really have no idea. I mean, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."

"Me neither," he said with a sigh. "I definitely wouldn't blame her either."

"Vic and Teddy are married," I said. I didn't want him getting any ideas. "For two years now."

"Yeah," he said. "I heard."

He didn't look upset.

"I'm actually engaged," he added.

I laughed. "You know, you're the second engaged guy I've run into today. And I gotta say, I would have never thought that either of you were the marrying kind."

"Sometimes people surprise you," he murmured.

"Go talk to Vic," I said.

He nodded. "I think I will."

"Bye, Colin," I said.

I turned into an empty alley and Disapparted back to Shell Cottage. Vic was sitting on the front steps, watching Jackie run around in the yard.

"Hey," I said. "Eating dinner here again?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

I sat down beside her, thinking about Colin. I wondered if I should tell that I'd run into him. I decided not to.

"So," she said, "you had your appointment today, right?"

I'd almost forgotten. Seeing Colin had really thrown me off. "Yeah," I said. "It was a false alarm. I'm not pregnant."

She nodded absentmindedly, her gaze glued to her daughter.

"So guess who I ran into today?"

"Who?"

"Robert."

She made a face.

"He's engaged," I said. "To Bridget McCutcheon."

She spun around to face me. "What?" she asked, her voice an octave higher than usual. "Really?"

She seemed a lot more excited about this bit of news that I had expected her to be. "Yeah. It seems like they really love each other."

"That's so great!" said Vic. "I told her she wasn't worthless like she seemed to think. I told her that someday she'd find someone who'd love her. "

I watched as she continued sitting there, a goofy grin on her face. I hadn't realized that she was so invested in Bridget McCutcheon's love life.

Like I did most nights, I stayed over at Paul's house. But, unlike most nights, I was having trouble sleeping. I could hear him breathing beside me, low and steady. I softly traced my finger up and down his arm, hoping that I didn't wake him. Did I want to marry him? I still hadn't decided.

I slipped out of bed as quietly as possible. I pulled on my shoes and Disapparated. There was one person that I suddenly desperately wanted to talk to.

I'd been knocking for five minutes before Timothy finally answered his door. "What the hell, Dom?" he asked with a yawn. "It's two in the morning. I have to work tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, so do I. Are you going to let me or not?"

He sighed loudly as he opened the door wider.

I immediately plopped down on his ratty couch. He sat down beside me, stifling another yawn. "So," he said, "any particular reason for your visit or did you just miss me?"

"I thought I was pregnant," I blurted out. "Turns out I'm not, but I thought I was."

"With Paul's baby?" he asked.

I glared at him. "Yes of course with Paul's baby. Who else's baby would I be pregnant with?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? You're bit of a slut, Dom."

I threw a pillow at him. "I am _not _a slut."

He just shot me a lazy grin. "Whatever you say."

"Remember back before we were friends and you were a nasty bully who would sexually harass me?"

He nodded. "Good times."

"You used to call me a prude back then," I said thoughtfully.

"Well you were," he said. "The times sure have changed."

I lay my head back against the armrest and closed my eyes. Suddenly I was extremely tired. As I drifted off to sleep, a series of memories flashed through my mind.

Dylan and I, age 14. I had just found out that Vic was pregnant and had told Dylan about it. "This is what happens when you're a whore," I had said

Dylan and I, age 17. We were alone in that abandoned shack and I had almost slept with him. Afterward, my mum told me that I was more like Vic than I realized. I had been disgusted, sure that I was nothing like her.

At age 18, I slept with Robert. And then I slept with Dylan. I kissed Timothy, but didn't sleep with him due to lack of chemistry. Then I started dating Paul and slept with him. All in one year.

Suddenly, calling Vic a whore seemed completely ridiculous. And suddenly, being offended by a comparison to her also seemed ridiculous. After all, there were plenty of people I had no desire to be anything like, but Vic wasn't one of them. She had a beautiful daughter and a perfect husband, both of whom she loved more than anything. She had a job and a house and it turned out she cared a lot more about people than I had once realized.

Then the world faded to black and I dreamt about Dylan.

* * *

><p><em>Just so you know, there's going to be one more chapter and an epilogue after this. And that's it.<em>


	32. Chapter 32

When I woke up, it was about five in the morning.

"Crap," I murmured, realizing that I'd left without telling Paul where I was going. I had only meant to stay at Timothy's for fifteen or twenty minutes. Not three hours. Hopefully Paul hadn't woken up and realized I was gone.

"Timothy," I hissed, shaking him slightly. We'd both fallen asleep on the couch.

"What?" he groaned, pushing my arm away.

"I have to go."

"Good," he replied. "Maybe I'll actually be able to get some sleep."

I stumbled off the couch. I was exhausted, probably in no condition to Apparate. But I didn't actually have much off a choice. So I spun on my heel and a moment later, I found myself standing in Paul's bedroom.

"Agh!" I exclaimed when I turned around and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at me. "You scared at me. I thought you'd be asleep."

He switched on the lamp. "I woke up and you were gone."

I walked over to the bed and sat down beside me. It creaked under my weight."Yeah, sorry about that."

"Where were you?" he asked.

"Just hanging out with a friend."

"Liz?"

I shook my head.

"Timothy?"

"Er, yeah."

He nodded, a strange expression on his face. "Of course. I should have known."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my voice sounding more defensive than I meant it to. "We're just friends."

"It's just… you spend more time with him than you do with me, Dom. It's like you prefer his company to mine."

I stared down at me feet, not saying anything.

He turned and stared at me. I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my head. "Do you?"

"No," I said and I realized that I was telling the truth. I really liked spending time with Paul. He made me feel happy. He made me feel safe.

I could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe me. I supposed I wouldn't believe me either.

I sighed and climbed into his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I buried my face in his neck. At that moment, I almost considered telling him I'd marry him. But something held me back. Something in the back of my mind. A small voice telling me that I shouldn't. I tried to ignore the voice as I slipped my hands underneath Paul's shirt, running my fingers over his hardened abs and the wide expanse of his chest. It would be so easy to marry him. All I needed to do was tell him I would, right then. Say I'd be his wife. All I needed to do was let him slip that ring on my finger. And then he'd be mine forever.

Except that voice in my head was persistent. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to go away. It wouldn't let me say those words. Because accepting his proposal, slipping on that ring, and marrying Paul would be settling. And I didn't want to settle. I didn't want to marry him and spend the rest of my life dreaming about someone else.

"Paul," I murmured, pulling my head up and looking him straight in the eye. "I can't marry you."

I thought of that diamond ring that he'd bought for me, sitting all alone in that little velvet box somewhere. I wished he hadn't wasted the money. Perhaps someday he'd find someone else to give it to. Some girl more deserving of his love.

He blinked. "You can't?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Dom," he said, "I know we're young, but I told you that we don't have to get married anytime soon. We can wait a few years."

"Paul," I said, more firmly this time. "This has nothing to do with age. I can't marry you now. I can't marry you in five years or ten years. I can't marry you ever."

I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt the tears dripping down my face. Paul reached out and wiped them away. Then he carefully eased me off his lap and into the bed. "You need to sleep," he said. "You have to be at work in three hours."

"But I have to go home," I replied. "I can't stay here after breaking up with you."

"You have to," he said. "You're in no condition to Apparate. You'll splinch yourself."

I wanted to argue some more, tell him he was being ridiculous, but suddenly I realized how exhausted I was. So I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew, Paul was shaking me awake. "You have to be at work in an hour, Dom," he said.

For a minute I didn't remember what had happened only a couple of hours before. For a minute it was just like any other morning. For a minute Paul was still my boyfriend and I was still his girlfriend. And then it all came back to me. How I'd turned down his marriage proposal and ended our relationship.

"I'm so sorry," I said as I stood up. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Dom—"

"But you deserve better than me. You deserve someone who loves you, _only you_, completely and fully. And that someone isn't me."

"So there's someone else?" he asked. His expression was unreadable. I couldn't tell what he was feeling. Whether it was anger or sadness or a little bit of both.

I wasn't sure how I even thought of it, but at that moment a memory of Dylan and I floated into my head. It was one that I hadn't thought about in years. One that I hadn't realized that I even remembered until that moment. We were fourteen years old, lying on the beach together, and he was trying to impress me by quoting Shakespeare.

After that, the memories came like a tidal wave, crashing over me, drowning me in a sea of forgotten conversations, hysterical laughter, cigarette smoke, and car rides along the coast.

Dylan.

It had always been Dylan.

"Yes," I said. "Yes, there's someone else."

He nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "He's a lucky guy."

"I never cheated on you," I said, suddenly feeling the need to clarify. I didn't want him to think even worse of me than he already did. "That's not what I'm saying. I'd never do that."

He lifted the corner of his mouth a bit, in what I think was supposed to be a smile. "I didn't think you did."

On the wall, the clock ticked loudly, reminding me that I had to get to work. I was an adult now and I had responsibilities that I couldn't hide from, no matter how bad everything seemed to be.

"I should go," I said. "Maybe I'll see you around."

I quickly gathered my stuff and Apparated home to shower and change. It was going to be a long day of work, I could already tell. As if Mondays weren't bad enough already.

On our lunch break, Timothy and I sat at our usual place on the edge of the fountain. I cried into his shoulder and he patted me on the back, occasionally telling the people who were staring at us to fuck off.

He was a good friend.

I knew that I should go to America and see Dylan. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to. I didn't want to show up there and find out that he'd gotten himself another girlfriend and forgotten all about me. I wouldn't be able to take it.

So August faded into September and September faded into October and everything seemed to pass by in a blur. Soon enough it was December.

We spent Christmas at the Burrow as usual. Louis came home with a tan, a lot of stories, and a bigger smile than I'd seen on him in quite some time. My cousin Rose wouldn't shut up about Scorpius Malfoy and how in love with him she was. My cousin Fred announced that his wife Camille was pregnant.

Everyone was happy. The Christmas cheer seemed to have lifted everyone's spirits and even I forgot all about Dylan and just enjoyed spending time with my family.

The next evening I was out walking, bundled up in several sweaters, a scarf, and a heavy coat. Snow was falling lightly over the town and every shop was brightly lit with twinkling lights.

When I spotted him standing outside the pub, I almost thought I was hallucinating.

But it was really him.

Dylan.

I stopped in my tracks, a few feet away from him and stared. What was he doing here?

It took him a few minutes to notice me and when he did, he froze for a moment, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Dom," he finally said, shoving the cigarette back in his coat pocket.

I waited for him to continue, to say something else, to move a little closer. But he just stood there, staring at me.

So I took a few steps closer, making sure to leave a little bit of space between us. I hadn't seen him in more than two years. He looked basically the same as he had the last time I'd seen him though, that day in Ohio. It was funny how people never seemed to look much different each time you saw them, maybe a slight change here and there, but overall nothing significant. But then if you looked back, you realized just how much they had actually changed before your very eyes, without you even noticing. The man standing before me was a far cry from the 12-year-old I'd first met on the beach one summer day more than eight years ago.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Okay," he said. "You?"

I said I was fine. I asked him about school and he asked me about my family. He told me that he was in town to spend Christmas with his grandmother because he'd not been able to come for the past couple summers. We continued making small talk like that for a few minutes before he asked me if I was seeing anyone. His tone was casual, as if he were talking about the weather. I wondered why he was asking. Was it curiosity or something more?

"No," I said. "I was in a relationship up until a few months ago. But it ended when he proposed and I turned him down." I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "It didn't seem right to marry him. Not when I was in love with someone else."

"I've had the same problem," he replied. "None of my relationships seem to work. You know why?"

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because I've been in love with the same girl since I was 13."

My breath hitched in my throat. I forgot that it was freezing outside, that seconds ago I'd been shivering uncontrollably. Because a sort of warmth spread over me when he said those words. When he said he loved me. Still. After all these years.

"But I don't deserve her," he continued. "I fucked things up and ended up screwing her over twice."

"Maybe she'll be willing to give you a third chance," I murmured.

He stared at me a minute. "You think?"

"I _know_."

"What would I have to do?" he asked. "To get her back."

At that moment, the door of the pub swung open and a bunch of drunken guys came stumbling out, laughing loudly and shouting things at each other. Suddenly I realized how cold it was and I started shivering.

"We should go somewhere else," said Dylan. "There's nobody home at my grandma's house. We can go there."

I nodded and followed him down the street, through an alley, and up another street until we came to her house. He opened the door and I took a step inside. It was warm and immediately felt myself thawing. I slipped off my coat and unwound the scarf from around my neck.

We'd come in the back door and were currently standing in the kitchen. Dylan leaned up against the kitchen counter and stared at me as he slipped off his coat and tossed it onto a chair. He was wearing nothing but a T-shirt under it and I wondered how he hadn't frozen to death.

"So?" he said. "What do I need to do?"

"Woo me," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Woo you? What exactly does that entail?"

"A few months ago I remembered something that happened when we were 14. We were down on the beach and you started quoting Shakespeare. You said that it was how you wooed the ladies. So now I want you to woo me."

"You want me to quote Shakespeare?"

"Unless you've forgotten," I said.

He smirked. "I remember everything I read."

"Good."

In an instant, he had wound his arms around my waist and pulled me close. Our bodies molded together and I breathed in the scent of him.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" he murmured in my ear, causing the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I ran my hands over his arms, feeling the hard muscles underneath. While Paul had been thicker and more built, Dylan was wiry, with ropy arm muscles and a skinny waist.

"Thou art more lovely and more temperate," he whispered as he trailed kisses down my neck.

I moaned slightly and tilted my head back to give him better access.

"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May." He paused to kiss my throat.

I was pretty sure that the sonnet wasn't nearly close to being over, but at that moment I didn't really care. I put my hand under his chin and lifted his head back up.

"Consider me wooed," I murmured.

He smiled that lovely, crooked smile of his. Then he leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. The kiss started out soft, but then slowly grew more and more passionate. Every ounce of love we felt for each other, every feeling that we'd tried to burrow away and forget, every smile, every laugh. It all came pouring out in that one kiss.

After what felt like hours, I pulled away. My breath was ragged as I told him that I needed to go.

"I promised my parents that I'd be home for dinner. It's Louis's last night here before he leaves for California again and I want to spend it with him."

"Alright," said Dylan, kissing me on the forehead. "See you tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Yes, you'll definitely see me tomorrow."

Later that night, I was lying in bed when I remembered something. I stood up, crossed the room, and began rummaging through the chest of drawers until I finally found it.

I pulled out the list I'd made when I was twelve years old. The one I had stumbled upon a few years ago after I'd almost slept with Dylan. It was faded and worn. The handwriting clumsy and childish.

_My Perfect Guy_, it said it big letters at the top.

_1.) Clean-cut and polite_

_2.) Smart and driven_

_3.) Not a muggle_

_4.) Athletic/plays Quidditch_

_5.) Not a musician or an artsy/hipster type_

_6.) Does not smoke!_

I shook my head and crumpled up the paper. I tossed it into the wastebasket beside my bed and lay back down. I didn't need it anymore.

I had found my perfect guy.

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe the story's almost over. All that's left is the epilogue.<em>

_Don't forget to review. Even if you never have before, you should now. Because reviews make me happy :)_


	33. Epilogue

**Five Years Later**

The day that Dylan and I got married at the Burrow was warm and sunny. But the weather didn't really matter. Because the warmth I was feeling that day did not come from the sun. It came straight from the heart. As I stood there in front of all my family and friends and told Dylan that I would be his forever, I could feel that warmth spread throughout every inch of my body, consuming me. I'd never felt as alive as I did in that moment, with Dylan's hands in mine, surrounded by everyone I love.

Right in front were my parents. My mum was clutching my dad's hand, smiling up at me through teary eyes. Beside them were Louis and his boyfriend Henry. I had met Henry for the first a couple of days before and I wasn't holding my breath that the relationship would last. They seemed too different and not in an opposites attract sort of way either. Teddy was sitting behind them, grinning up at Victoire, my maid of honor, who was standing beside me. Next to Teddy were Colin and his wife, each holding one of their twin daughters on their laps. Jackie was next to them, fidgeting with her dress and squirming in her seat. Also in attendance were Timothy, Liz and Xavier and their kids, all of my other countless relatives, Dylan's mum, and Dylan's brothers and their families.

Way in the back, a man was leaning up against a tree, half hidden in shadow. Dylan's father.

When I had suggested to Dylan that we invite him to the wedding he had immediately shot down the idea. "I haven't spoken to him in years," he'd said. "And I'd like to keep it that way."

But to me that seemed wrong. No matter how bad their relationship was he was still Dylan's father and deserved to be invited to his own son's wedding. So I had sent him an invitation without telling Dylan. And so far, he hadn't seemed to realize that he was there.

After the ceremony ended and the reception had started, Dylan finally noticed his father. I watched as he frowned, his eyes narrowing. He turned and looked at me. "I told you I didn't want him here," he said, his voice low.

I winced. He sounded angry.

"I know," I replied. "But I just thought that it would be good for him to be here. He's your dad, Dylan."

"No," he hissed. "He stopped being my dad when I was fourteen and I quit baseball. That's all I was ever good for in his eyes. I was supposed to go be a big baseball star, have the career that he was never able to have. Once I quit he gave up on me. He didn't want to be a part of my life, so I don't want to be a part of his. You had no right to go behind my back and invite him here."

For a moment I didn't say anything. I just stood there frozen. We'd been married for five minutes and we were already having our first fight. How could this be happening?

"I thought it was the right thing to do," I finally managed to say.

"Well, you thought wrong," he snapped.

I looked past him and saw Vic standing a few meters away. She was staring at us, a curious expression on her face, probably wondering how we could already be fighting.

I was wondering the same thing. Newlyweds weren't supposed to fight. They were supposed to be ridiculously happy and in love.

As Dylan continued ranting about his dad, I started to panic. What if our marriage was over before it had even started?

Suddenly he stopped talking. "Are you crying?" he asked.

I realized that I was. "No," I lied, quickly wiping away my tears.

His expression softened and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief and handing it to me. "What are you crying about?" he asked as I blew my nose.

"You're mad at me," I whispered. "We_ just_ got married and you're already mad at me. I'm gonna be a terrible wife."

"Dom," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his mouth to my ear. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at _him_."

Over his shoulder, I saw Vic's frown turn into a smile. She shot me a thumbs up and walked away.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He pulled back slightly and looked me straight in the eye. "Dom," he said, his voice serious. "I love you more than anything in the world. And you're going to make a terrific wife."

Smiling, I stood on my toes and pressed my lips to his. We kissed softly for a moment before breaking apart.

"Your dad and Louis are arguing about something," he said, looking past me.

I turned around. Sure enough he was right. Dad was waving his arms around in the air and shouting something while Louis stood there, stone-faced, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Do you think you should go over and see what they're fighting about?" asked Dylan.

I shrugged. "Nah. They argue all the time. But they always forgive each other. Because that's what fathers and sons should do." I looked at him pointedly.

"Dom…"

"Please just go talk to your dad."

He bit his lip and looked over to where his father was standing. "I don't know if I can."

I opened my mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the appearance of Colin. "Aren't you guys supposed to be, like, mingling with your guests or something?" he asked. "You'll have plenty of time to be alone on your honeymoon." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I glanced around the yard at all the people who were milling about. "I'll get to that in a minute," I said. "Right now I'm trying to get Dylan to go talk to his dad."

"You have issues with your dad?" Colin asked Dylan.

He nodded. "Haven't spoken to him in years."

"You know," said Colin, "I don't what happened between you guys, but it seems like the fact that he came all the way from America for your wedding means that he's trying to make an effort to fix things. And that's definitely something."

Dylan shifted uncomfortably, still staring at his dad.

"I haven't seen my dad since I was 14," Colin continued. "I don't where he is. I don't know if he's still a drug addict. I don't even know if he's alive."

"Wow," Dylan murmured.

Across the yard, we heard someone laughing loudly. We all turned and saw Dad and Louis laughing hysterically about something.

"Told you they'd work it out," I said to Dylan.

He took a deep breath. "Fine," he said. "You guys win. I'll go talk to him."

I smiled as he turned and headed across the yard to where his dad was still awkwardly standing by himself.

"Daddy!" A young girl's voice rang out through the air.

Jackie appeared out of nowhere, full of energy, and tugged on Colin's hand. "Come here," she said. "I wanna show you something."

"Congratulations!" Colin called over his shoulder at me as his ten-year-old daughter pulled him away.

I stood there alone for a minute and looked around, taking it all in. This was my wedding. _My wedding_. How crazy was that? Time sure did fly. It seemed like just yesterday I was 12 years old, ducking out of the way of the Frisbee that some boy on the beach had thrown. Now I was 26 and that boy was my husband.

"What are you doing standing here by yourself?" I heard someone ask, startling me.

I whirled around and found myself face to face with my grandmother.

"You should be with your guests," she said, giving me her patented Molly Weasley glare.

"Right," I replied. "Sorry about that."

"You should be sorry," she said. "I've had at least three people ask me why my granddaughter was hiding at her own wedding."

She grabbed my hand and led me over to where most the guests were congregating under a tent that had been set up near the house. We passed by Liz and Xavier as they tried to keep their three children under control. Liz smiled brightly at me as I passed by.

"Guess what," she exclaimed.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant!"

I squealed and gave her a hug.

"We'll talk later," I told her. "Right now I'm supposed to be mingling."

My grandmother made a tsking sound once we were out of earshot of Liz and Xavier. "Pregnant again?" she asked. "All those kids and he still hasn't married her. I don't know why she hasn't left him."

"I reckon Xavier would marry her in a heartbeat if she'd let him," I said. "But she doesn't believe in marriage."

She shook her head in disapproval and looked around. "Where's that husband of yours? Great-aunt Murial wants to meet him."

I wanted to ask how Murial could still possibly be alive, but I kept my mouth shut and smiled weakly.

"There he is," she said, spotting Dylan across the yard. He appeared to be finished talking to his father and she waved him over.

A couple hours later, the dancing began. Dylan and I had our first dance as husband and wife. As we swayed on the dance floor, holding each other close, I marveled at how far we'd come. Most people don't end up with their first love. But I had. Of course the path hadn't been easy. We'd lost each other along the way several times. But we'd found each other in the end. And that was all that mattered.

Soon everyone had joined us on the dance floor and I spotted Timothy dancing with my cousin Molly. She was my uncle Percy's daughter and was a year younger than me. Back in our Hogwarts days she was a bit of a nerd with an unflattering haircut and huge glasses. At age 25 she was still a nerd, but her glasses were trendy and her haircut was much, much better. In fact, it turned out she was really quite pretty.

Later, I found Timothy at the refreshment table getting some punch.

"Hey," he said, grinning at me. "How's it feel to be married?"

"Pretty good," I replied, grabbing the ladle and filling my glass.

We chatted for a few minutes and then I mentioned Molly. "I saw you dancing with my cousin."

His face turned a bit red. "Yeah," he said slowly.

"You better not break her heart," I said. "Or I might have to Avada you."

"I won't," he said. "Molly's…different. She's smart. I can't remember the last time I dated a smart girl."

I smiled. "Well, I hope things work out for you guys."

"I hope so too," he said. He paused, taking a sip of his punch. "Though I am a bit scared of her dad."

I laughed. "That's completely understandable. I'm more than a bit scared of him and he's my uncle."

My feet hurt from all the dancing I'd been doing and Dylan had been cornered by a bunch of my aunts, so I found a seat and kicked off my shoes.

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked up. Vic was standing in front of me.

"Go ahead," I said, motioning at the seat beside me.

She sat down and eyed my bare feet. "Heels are the worst, aren't they?"

I nodded. "The absolute worst."

She smiled. "You looked beautiful today. I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier."

"Thanks," I said, smiling. "You looked beautiful at your wedding too. I know it was eight years ago, but I didn't tell you then. I should have though."

She chuckled. "We've had a…difficult relationship over the years, haven't we?"

"I thought you were a selfish bitch," I said.

"And I hardly thought of you at all," she said.

We both laughed.

"I think we were more alike than we realized," she said.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"I still feel guilty that I was such a bad sister," she said. "That whole Robert fiasco was my fault."

"Merlin, Vic, that was a long time ago. You can stop worrying about it."

"I probably should," she said, smiling.

"Besides," I said. "Our relationship's been a lot better recently. I chose you to be my maid of honor and it wasn't even because it was 'expected'.

"Oh god," she said, shaking her head. "I forgot that I said that to you. If it makes any difference, I really did want you to be my maid of honor."

Before I could reply, Dylan's dad approached us. He'd spent the last few hours sitting alone at a table, making calls on his phone and staring at his computer screen. I wasn't sure why he had even stuck around for so long.

He stuck out his hand. "Hello," he said, his voice stiff and formal. "I'm Dylan's father, Tom. I figured that I should probably come introduce myself to my daughter-in-law."

I shook his hand. "Hello, Tom," I said, smiling. "It's nice to meet you."

"I wanted to thank you for sending me that invitation. Dylan told me that it was your idea."

I nodded. "Yeah. Family's an important thing. Too important to lose."

"You're a smart girl," he said. "Dylan's a lucky man."

He turned to Vic. "And you're the maid of honor, aren't you?"

Vic smiled politely and shook his hand. "I'm Victoire," she said. "Dominique's older sister."

_Dominique's older sister. _

I liked the sound of that.

* * *

><p><em>I can't believe that this story is over. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read and to leave me such amazing reviews. I'm still in shock that I've recieved 458 of them so far. That is so much more that I ever hoped for and it means the world to me.<em>

_I hope that this epilogue didn't disappoint anyone. I wrote almost all of it today, so I hope it doesn't seem sloppy or rushed._

_I've spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not I want to write a sequel. Right now I have an idea that I'm really liking, but I want to run it past you guys first and see if it's something that any of you would want to read. It would involve a teenage Jackie going to stay with her uncle Louis in California for the summer. Let me know what you think._

_Thanks again for all the support. I love you all!_

_-Emma xx_


	34. Author's Note

The first chapter of the sequel is up. It's called _One Summer in San Francisco_. I'd love for you all to read it and leave me a review!


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